Term paper on Racial Profiling

Free Racial Profiling papers

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Racial Profiling/Police Officers

Racial profiling, the act of categorizing, the targeting of a particular group of culture with a view towards labeling those individuals law enforcers believe are engaged in illegal activities. Does Racial Profiling still exist today? "He would kill me if I was the one going to the newspapers." Words said by a newspaper editor threatened to death by Chicago Police officers. In today s society many minorities are faced with racists police officers all around the United States. In recent years thousands of reported incidents due to racial profiling done by police have been reported. But is our government doing anything about it? Is it true police officers are here to protect and serve? The thought of police officers abusing their power scares many of us but the truth is it always happens every day but nothing is done about it. Racism has come along way in the past 30 years. But it s still exists and is a constantly reoccurring issue. Racism not only deals with color or nationality, but also includes, age, sex, and physical characteristics. The problem is that racism affects the way that people perform their jobs, specifically the police force. Some officers of the law have racist feelings against different groups of people. What effect does this have on the public and the reputation of the police force? The citizens of the United States expect the police force to protect and serve them. That s their job. Some police officers opinions affect the way that they perform their jobs. For instance, in the past there have been a couple of cases where officers have stopped a black man driving his car and beaten him. Not because he s trying to getaway or anything of that nature, but because he is black and the police officers don t like black people. Officers have also stopped other minorities, because the police assumed that because of whom they are that they must be doing something wrong. What effect do these prejudices have on society and their view of the police force? When police abuse their power and harass people for racist reasons, it makes people feel that they cannot count or trust the police. It also creates tension between the police and public. For example: when the trial of Rodney King versus the Los Angeles police department reached a verdict unsatisfactory to the public, it a caused a riot. People were beaten, stores were looted, and fires were started. How can people count on the police to be there when they are needed if they know that certain officers don t like them because of who they are? Why should a black person or teenager be worried about driving his or her Mercedes-Benz down the street because they might get stopped and harassed? The reputation of the police department is the way it he way it is because of bad cops who do things like this. Racism by police affects the way that they perform their job and makes people not trust them. It also causes unnecessary injuries, and a separation between police and the public. In all, these actions have created a police department that is unequal, corrupt and unpredictable.

Incidents where police officers have been charged with racial profiling have to come to many court cases for instance, from the Racial Profiling Exposed articles states in GLENCOE, Ill. Three somber-faced representatives of the U.S. Congress March 24 peered into the eyes of white Highland Park, Ill. cops who told "unbelievable tales" of the discriminatory process plaguing police departments across the nation called "racial profiling." The officers said they used code words like "sombrero" to refer to Hispanic drivers and a "load of coal," cop talk for a car full of Blacks. Officer Coursey said traffic enforcement through racial profiling had become the "tool for those who can t think and follow their own thoughts. Most every police officer that was a field-training officer has become a sergeant or some type of advanced rank. The message they re sending to young police officers is racial profiling is good condoned rewarded," he said. "When racial profiling is encouraged and taught by police management, it is particularly insidious and undermines not only freedom but trust between the community and its local law enforcement agencies," the statement said. The article states many problems that occur in police forces around the country. Hundred others reports have been filed and 85% of them never reach a verdict or the case is closed. In Milwaukee report seven of every 10 traffic citations, a city that is half white, are issued to minorities. Other incidents include Larrel Riggs, a 42 year old marketing representative was in his car driving to the Vine, a bar and restaurant in Scottsdale. He noticed a police officer signally his to pull over. They demanded to see his driver s license and registration, keeping their hands on their guns the entire time. The incident shocked him and after several hours of the police searching...