Racial Profiling: A Degrading and Ineffective Practice

Racial Profiling: The Truth

Racial profiling is not only demeaning to minorities, but goes against Constitutional rights given to Americans. Currently racial profiling has been discussed across the nation on whether or not police enforcement are using it for the greater good within society or using it to discrimination against certain ethics.A majority police officials are now using racial profile as an excuse to be racist. Racial profiling is not only real, however is in inhumane, and is not used as effectively as people think it is.

To begin, what society is often blindsided by is that racial profiling is real, and is used in unfair manners by police officials. According to the article, “Jim Crow Policing” published on The New York Times,

author Bob Herbert's, addresses the issue of how in the city of New York, the New York Police Department needs to stop the prejudiced treatment of black and Hispanic New Yorkers who are treated immorally by police officials just simply for the color of their skin. Black and Hispanics are often stopped and frisked by police officers for any case of suspicious, by clothing, or ethnicity. For example, Hebert mentions, “An overwhelming 84 percent of the stops in the first three-quarters of 2009 were of black or Hispanic New Yorkers,” (Hebert 3). People often stopped by police enforcement are then questioned, searched, and frisked without any question asked. “Contraband, which usually means drugs, was found in only 1,6 percent of the stops of black New Yorkers. For Hispanics, it was just 1,5 percent. For whites, who are stopped far less frequently, contraband was found 2.2 percent of the time,” (Hebert 3). The studies clearly show black and Hispanics are the main target and is is not right for someone to be stopped simply by the color of their skin. In the Los Angeles Crimes article,”Racial profiling in L.A: the numbers don’t lie”, author Ian Ayres brings attention to how radical disparities,and whether or not law enforcement could be using it for biased reasons. Ayres mentions,over 76 percent of blacks and 16 percent are likely to be pulled over rather than a white person. Ayres also mentions how Police Chief William J Bratton saw the results inaccurate because they are outdated. However, I see him using this as an excuse to ignore the fact that more blacks and latinos are being pulled over just for their ethnicity and color. People should only be pulled over by showing of suspicious and illegal behavior not by radical disparities or by bias police officers Ayres adds, “The department has not released the more recent stop data that it has been collecting, nor has it analyzed the more recent data to test for radical disparities,(Ayres 12).This shows if Chief William J Bratton was fairly against radical disparities he would release new results on it.
To add, racial profiling is also used inhumane ways which in my opinion, labels certain ethnic group simply by the actions of others with the same skin color for their wrong doing with society. Individuals shouldn’t be judged by not what they wear, their background, or the color of their skin, instead by their character and the actions they take. In the article, “ 4 wrongfully arrested men blame racial profiling”, author Andrew Wolfson discusses how four young black men who were falsely accused of committing crimes they didn’t do. The four young men arrested claim that their arrest may have to do with their race.Wolfson states,” [Shaquazz Allen, 19; Tyrone Booker Jr., 20; Craig Dean, 21; and Jerron Bush, 22]- on charges that they robbed a woman at gunpoint on March 22, the night of mob violence in downtown Louisville,(Wolfson 9). The four men were falsely identified as the suspect because they fit the description of the attackers by simpling being black and by their clothing which was black hoodies. Police enforcements just saw a group of guys who fit the description, and arrested them without even questioning if it was the right group of suspects. Wolfson adds, “Booker and Allen were locked up for 70 days while Bush and Dean served five days, plus time on home incarceration,”(Wolfson 11). These four innocent men had spend time in jail for a crime they didn't commit. It took over a year for the four young men to settle this $1.5 million lawsuit. This clearly shows that racial profiling is labeling and targeting certain races just for the reputation they have.Police enforcements wrongfully arrested four young black men just because they fit the description of the attackers, and were not even questioned till later.
Lastly.

racial profiling has no positive impact on society only a negative one. It is only breaking society apart, and creating a gap of trust between law enforcement and civilians.In the Los Angeles Times article, “L.A’s newst poilce commisoner calls for a deep analysis of racial profiling accusations,” writer Kate Mather how L.A’s police commisoner wants to break down racial profiling for residents and members of the police enforements. Mather states, “McClain-Hill emphasized that she did not believe most LAPD officers are inherently biased or show up to work for any reason other than to do the very best job they can protecting this city,”(Mather 5). In today’s society its very difficult for civilians to be able to have a trusting relationship with police enforcements because what is broadcasted on the news or online. With certain group of races constantly being targeted by police and being falsely accused of doing a crime they never even did; its not easy to be able to trust or know what intentions police enforcements have. There are so many racist bias and racist police officers out there so it almost inevitable to trust ALL enforcements. Racial profiling has no should in society, and only tears people apart because of how we are treated and

saw.
All in all, racial profiling is real, immoral behavior, and only has an negative impacted in America. It allows police enforcements to not be only racist but to make certain races feel degraded for the color of their skin. It allows for people of certain ethics to be pulled over and be bullied on by police officers, and to be frisked for no reason. Racial profiling also allows racial disparities to exist, and label certain races.It also allows for people to fasely be accuseed of crimes they did’nt comitt just because of how they look,how they dress, or the color of their skin.It is tearing American apart and forcing us to lost trust in law enforement when they should make us feel protected, and not be the ones to attack us.