Racial Profiling Research Paper

Just what is racial profiling? Racial profiling is a law enforcement and security agency practice that encourages officers to stop, search, and investigate people based on race, ethnicity, nationality or religion. While racial profiling is most commonly committed against ethnic minorities, many instances of racial profiling occur in reaction to specific crimes, making any racial or cultural group subject to more intensive scrutiny by the authorities. (ebscohost.com) This is what I think bout racial profiling, it like it occurs when the police targets someone for investigation on the basis of that person's race, national origin, or ethnicity. Examples are the use of race to determine which drivers to stop for minor traffic

The National Institute of Justice (“Racial Profiling”) stated that racial profiling, which is a form of discrimination, racism, and stereotypes is when law enforcement, based on a person’s race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion targets a person for suspicion of crimes. Today people can turn on their television, go online, and even listen to their radios and they will hear about racial profiling. Racial profiling is not anything new and has been going on throughout history; it goes all the way back to slavery. Racial profiling has recently started being recorded, which is why it has become such a huge national issue today, because people can no longer ignore it. This issue is not specific to one race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin. People of many races, religions, ethnicities, or national origins have been affected by racial profiling for years since the start of this country, but one group that has been affected by racial profiling at a high rate is African Americans. The goal of this paper is to analyze this main group that has and still is being affected by racial profiling and acknowledge other groups that are being affected as well.

Racial profiling is a very prevalent issue within the criminal justice system that is quite controversial, but there is a significant number of evidence that shows that racial profiling has been present since the 1600’s and continues to be a significant issue. Racial profiling is evident in the criminal justice system in various ways such as in interrogations, jury selection, misleading statistics, stops, and immigration laws. Racial profiling within interrogations and jury selection can be seen with the Brandley v. Keeshan case. Racial profiling within statistics can be seen in instances where the numbers focus on arrests and incarcerations that do not necessarily mean a crime was committed. Stops are seen as evidence showing racial profiling with a personal experience, and lastly, immigration laws are seen as showing racial profiling by the encounter of a Mexican American women had with an officer in Arizona.

The practice of targeting individuals for police investigation based on their race alone in the last few years has been an increasingly prominent issue in American society. Numerous magazines, newspapers, and journals have explored the issue of race-motivated police actions. Recently, the ABA Journal did a study of New Jersey and Pennsylvania traffic stops from 1998 to 2001, concluding that black drivers were more likely to be pulled over and arrested than whites. The study also delves into the legal ramifications of the 1996 United States Supreme Court ruling in the Whren v. United States case, which held that police officers subjective motivation for stopping a motorist on the

What makes America? Is it the freedoms granted to any American citizen? Is it the way the founding fathers fought for their own freedom against Britain? Is it instead the racial history behind this nation? America, since its origins has been a country of immigrants and for immigrants, yet since its origins, there has been discriminatory laws against blacks, Latinos, Asians, and every other race that is not considered white or Caucasian. Has this country that has been based upon racial profiling, that has fought wars as one nation (and even against themselves at one point), and has triumphed through the Civil Rights movement finally succumbed to justice or is racial profiling just as prominent today? Racial profiling still exists in America because ____________________, ___________________, and _____________________. (3 reasons stated in thesis)

What is racial profiling? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defines racial profiling as “the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin” (2005). Do not confuse racial profiling with criminal profiling; criminal profiling is usually practiced by police in which they use a group of characteristics that are associated with crime to target individuals (ACLU, 2005). Examples of racial profiling include using ones race to target specific drivers for traffic violations and pedestrians for illegal contraband; another prime example is the targeting of Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians since 9/11 in regards to minor immigrant violations without any connection to the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon (ACLU, 2005). Without a doubt, racial profiling occurs on a daily basis all over the world; however let’s focus on racial profiling in the United States and specifically right here in our homeland, Michigan. Background & History

or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” The argument here is that skin color correlates to the probability that the person is involved in criminal activity, and this violates the fourth amendment in that skin color does not qualify as a “probable cause.”

We live in a society that has prospered generously over the years. America has opened its doors for so many different people by establishing itself as a free country. Not only have we progressed in technology and economically but we have created our own identity by becoming a free nation in which every individual has the same rights and eligibility as the other. This is the core of our countries success; we are not a nation unified distinctly by a specific race, religion or culture but by the compulsive efforts of our nation’s laws to uphold freedom in every aspect of a civilian’s life. People are not only allowed but encouraged to practice the religion of their choice, eat the food they desire, speak the language they prefer. There is even freedom in the most minute of things such as being able to listen to the music of your choice, these are the laws that promote diversity and strengthen our nation today. Our nation’s identity and prosperity is built upon multiculturalism and ethnic tolerance. However, this was not always the case it has taken many long and brutal years become the stable and versatile country that we are today. Specifically dating back to when this land was first founded and thereafter we see our nation has struggled with conflicts against politics, discrimination, and public affairs up till this very day.

On the night of February 4th 1999, Amadou Diallo, an unarmed and innocent African immigrant, was gunned down in a hail of 41 bullets while standing in the vestibule of his own apartment building in the Bronx. The officers responsible for Diallo's death were part of New York Police Department's "elite" Street Crime Unit. The plain-clothes officers approached Diallo and pulled their weapons. When Diallo, probably believing they were thieves, pulled out his wallet, the "elite" officers opened a barrage of 41 bullets on the unarmed black man.

Racial profiling affects those in Knott C. county by making people live in fear. Not just Knott C. county , but also throughout the nation. Doubting those kids that grew up in a poverty neighborhood of even making it out alive. Also even doubting them that they will have a future if they do make it out alive. They wake up not knowing if they will actually be who they dream of being one day which “every shot they shoot , they shoot for their dreams” says Coach Rhodes. Not just that , but being racially profiled for how they look , act , live and mostly for who they show to be , not knowing where they really come from.

In the 1990’s, there was increase in lawsuits against law enforcement, especially at the state level, based on race based traffic stops that the courts started ruling that there was racial profiling going on across the country. The lawsuits were becoming so wide spread police executives sought steps to stop the racial profiling and try to restore some of the public confidence in law enforcement in the United States. The goal was to be able to provide evidence in court that there was in fact no racial profiling happening on traffic stop across the country. The dash board systems were able to provide an unbiased view of all events as the officer’s made contact with anyone. With this new technology, it started to rebuild the trust that was lost

Crime should be punished regardless of whether black, white or Hispanic committed. However, police profiling is not about punishing a certain individual for a certain crime that is being investigated. Thus, some officers make the crime to be by minority through unreasonably targeting them with unfair searches based on their color of their skin. Police profiling and how the police treat suspects should not be mixed up. An instance of harassment or abuse by a police officer based on race is racism, and should not be characterized as police profiling.

Reversing the racial discrimination and stereotypes against black youth. Racial profiling refers to the targeting of certain individuals based on race. Law enforcement authorities and also average people, not based on their behavior but rather the color of their skin and their stereotypical personality. Racial profiling has become a global issue rather than a problem that keeps occurring in the United States. As globalization expands and people migrate from different parts of the world to other, so does race related issues. People across the world are different but what people fail to realize is no matter how fair our skin is or how dark and rich our skin is, we all bleed the same color, red. As people, we do not take the time to stop and

The United States has always had an “open door” policy to all travelers coming into U.S. ports. Passengers still had to submit to passport policies and restrictions. Before 2009, there was no real threat to the American citizens. I can remember walking up to the gate to greet my loved one or have them send me off , watching the plane leave the gate , down the runway and off into the air. Times have changed since the tragic day of September 11, 2009. That day changed everything. Before that day, I knew of racial profiling for African Americans, in society. I am not a racial person. The south has a stigma of racial profiling with the African American’s and the history behind it.

Benjamin Todd Jealous once said, “Racial profiling punishes innocent individuals for the past actions of those who look and sound like them. It misdirects crucial resources and undercuts the trust needed between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”(Jealous, 2015). I couldn’t agree more with him. In today’s society more and more Black men and women suffer from police bias. Police is a powerful organization that was meant to serve and protect. Enforce laws and keeping communities safe. The problem is we fail to acknowledge that police are humans with real life bias. The problem with police is how much racial profiling is going up,