NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — A judge’s ruling that the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk tactics are unconstitutional has created chaos and confusion among officers, a city lawyer told a federal appeals panel Tuesday.

As WCBS 880’s Irene Cornell reported, attorney Celeste Koeleveld asked the 2nd U.S. District Court of Appeals to suspend Manhattan U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin’s August ruling because police officers are now hesitant to do their jobs, which could harm public safety. The stop-and-frisk program has been credited by some for reducing crime across the city over the last decade.

Koeleveld said officers are “hesitant, unfortunately” to use the tactic anymore.

“We were happy to have our arguments heard by the Court of Appeals, and the judge is obviously taking our position very seriously,” Koeleveld said after the hearing. “And we believe that it’s important for a stay to be granted in this case, as we argued upstairs and in our papers, because the court should review this decision before the city’s required to do anything.”