This paper presents a detailed examination of racial profiling, the act of police officers or other law enforcement officials using race as a factor in deciding whom to stop and search on the street, in the United States.
The following paper takes the reader on an exploratory journey through the issues that surround racial profiling and discusses the various problems that are encountered. Some of the issues addressed are whether or not racial profiling exists, the problem that most law enforcement departments refuse to undergo a study and that they deny that racial profiling exists and the state of literature regarding this topic at this point is more anecdotal than scientific. In addition the writer contends that the topic is controversial because the United States believes that it has rid itself of prejudice and racism and to open the topic of racial profiling by law enforcement personnel is admitting that its possible the nation is backsliding.Finally, this paper examines how the events of September 11th stepped up the pace of racial profiling by law enforcement and grew to include new groups of people.
“Racial profiling is a topic that is seen across the nation in the media. Racial profiling has often been referred to as the phantom occurrence because thus far departments across the nation patently deny its existence. The topic is a growing one in light of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America. Racial profiling has been a top news story since that attack but it was an issue for many years before that.
One of the hardest things to debate in this heated topic is whether or not it exists. There is not a law enforcement agency in the nation that has stepped up to the plate and acknowledged that it does indeed profile using racial criteria. It is something that New York City’s finest have been accused of over and over again while the chiefs and mayors adamantly deny the rumors. It is something that News shows spend entire segments trying to prove with the cases that are claimed to have happened because of it(Dotings, 2000)”
One of the hardest things to debate in this heated topic is whether or not it exists. There is not a law enforcement agency in the nation that has stepped up to the plate and acknowledged that it does indeed profile using racial criteria. It is something that New York City’s finest have been accused of over and over again while the chiefs and mayors adamantly deny the rumors. It is something that News shows spend entire segments trying to prove with the cases that are claimed to have happened because of it(Dotings, 2000)”