Racial Profiling When discussing law enforcement and crime prevention, one inevitably hits up against a philosophical impasse -- the rights and freedoms of the individual are inherently at odds with the purpose of the government which has its interest in controlling their actions. As law enforcement becomes increasingly tough-minded, it is increasingly true that the rights of the innocent must be sacrificed along with the rights of the guilty. So those who are more interested in the law than in freedom will inevitably be at odds with those who are more interested in freedom than in the law -- as there is no way to logically determine which is more valuable, so there is no way to logically determine which deserves the greater protection. The issue of racial profiling is one which falls into this area of debate quite naturally. It is generally inspired not by rabid racism but is considered to be a legitimate way to enforce the laws which, because of institutional racism, takes on a very racist nature -- yet it can be defended on the behalf of the lawful. On the other hand, racial profiling and other "preventative" measures which are based on future rather than past crimes inherently punish the suspiciously innocent along with the guilty, and may be tyrannical. I do not support racial profiling, because while it may be...
Though racial profiles do give law enforcement an excuse to ferret out crimes otherwise invisible, their limited scope creates a mythology of Caucasian innocence which leads to a lack of crime prevention among white people, while simultaneously encouraging mistrust and certain forms of lawlessness among minorities. "[Racial profiles] capture some who are guilty but at an unacceptably high societal cost. The practice undermines public confidence in law enforcement, erodes the legitimacy of the criminal justice system, and makes police work that much more difficult and dangerous." (Harris) Yet while racial profiling may be destructive both to individuals and to the system, there is still a degree to which it makes law enforcement easier -- and this is the degree to which it is dangerous.
The problem is endemic and deeply rooted, but it is also one that cannot be openly discussed with social stigma. Racial profiling as a theoretical practice is not wholly unfair, it is the rational use of discrimination to pre-empt crime. However, since racial profiling is often combined with racial discrimination, the inevitable result is that both such practices are institutionally rebuked. Law enforcement will continue to use race as a
In addition the author suggests that the relationship between police and racial minority citizens has throughout history been controversial, and argues that racial profiling is simply a method by which police agents can perpetuate discrimination and prejudice (Bass, 2001). Mcleod (2003) examines the viewpoint that the problem with racial profiling is that it unmistakable identifies a certain portion of the population as 'them' and pairs that description against 'we' suggesting that
Racial Profiling in Maricopa County Sheriff's Office: Racial profiling is a practice that contributes to unfair treatment of individuals based on their origins and/or race. In the past few years, there have been accusations that the Sheriff's Office of Maricopa County engages in this practice. These allegations have particularly been leveled against Sheriff Joe Arpaio who is renowned for his tough position on illegal aliens, crime, and minimal prisoner benefits. As
Racial profiling is one of the most pressing civil right issues of our time. It extends beyond directs victims to negatively affect all persons of color of all generations and income levels. It undermines the legitimacy of the criminal justice system, and hinders effective policing in the communities that need it the most. A Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection System defines racial profiling as any police-initiated action that
Police officers need to understand that there exists a balance between security and the individual's freedom (Banks, 2009). Officers are also susceptible to corruption, and therefore need to understand that the causes of corruption are often identified and combated through an understanding of and respect for the justice system that is currently in place. Police officers also need to be trained properly, with a foundation in the same concepts
Criminal and Racial Profiling Criminal profiling is the act of using a profile of crime in order to locate and identify suspects: it is, in the words of Grafton (2008), "where you look at a specific crime and you try to determine -- does it occur in a specific way and is it caused by a specific type of person." Racial profiling, on the other hand, is the act of using
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now