Describe racial profiling and racially biased policing. Explain why these phenomena have become significant issues in policing. What steps have been taken to eliminate racial bias among police?
I. Describe racial profiling and racially biased policing.
Racially biased policing and racial profiling are similar, but different in certain ways. Racial profiling for example is when an officer makes arrests or stops people based only on their race, such as an officer frequently stopping, questioning, or arresting a high number of African Americans. In an investigation done to the New Orleans Police department, racial profiling, which can be considered discriminatory policing, was defined as "occurs when police officers and departments unfairly enforce the law-or fail to enforce the law-based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, religion, or [sexual preference]". Racially biased policing is when an officer uses race and other factors to make a decision on whether to question or arrest. For example, stopping a black man for questioning because he is in a white affluent neighborhood.
II. Explain why these phenomena have become significant issues in policing.
The reason these issues have become so problematic is
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In 2003, the Department of Defense (DOJ) banned the use of racial profiling in federal agencies, except when it came to looking for terrorists. States have also taken a stance against racial profiling, with many enacting their own laws that ban the use of racial profiling by the police. Departments are also encouraged to do things such as “monitor activity reports for evidence of improper practices and patterns” per the PERF report. In the end, it is up to the police officer and individual police departments to stop racial profiling and racially biased policing. If departments and people don’t try to change, then nothing will change in the