The Effects of Racial Profiling

Prompt: Profiling has been a tactic often used by police to fight crime. Over the course of
history, statistics have shown specific minority groups are targeted by police more than others.
Examine what kind of effects this leaves on victims, society, and police officers. Is this sort of
profiling justified? Discuss why or why not.

Christopher Ello
Russell Stoll & Carmen Garcia
October 17, 2014

Efficient law enforcement has always played a vital part in the security of the people and
has contributed to the flourishing of society. A tactic that is often implemented in law
enforcement is racial or ethnic profiling. According to Merriam Webster Encyclopedia, profiling
is the act or practice of regarding particular people as more likely to commit crimes because of
their appearance, race, etc. Over the course of the past couple of years, statistics have shown that
law enforcement has a racial bias against minorities as opposed to white Americans. According
to a Huffington post article, one in every three black males born today can expect to go to
prison at some point in their life , compared with one in every six Latino males, and one in every
17 white males, if current incarceration trend continues( 1 in 3 Black Males Will go to Prison in
Their Lifetime). An analysis by the New Yorkers Civil Liberties Union revealed that of the many
innocent New Yorkers that were subject to police stops, black and Latino communities continue
to be the overwhelming target of these tactics (Stop-and-Frisk Data). Another New York report
reveals that the number of stops involving young black men in 2011 exceeded the citys
population of young black men (Stop-And-Frisk Policy). Racial profiling is unjustified because
it targets innocent individuals and shifts both personal and public perception. Even though racial
profiling is a tactic used by police, its effects on minorities is detrimental not only to their
psychology, but also how they are perceived in society.
Racial profiling affects the psychology of those whom are targeted. One woman who
experienced racial profiling as a child related:
I felt humiliated. Guilty of something I had nothing to feel guilty about. I began to doubt
my own abilities. Maybe I am stupid. Maybe I am a bad personthat experience has
caused me much damage mentally. To my self-esteem, etc. Despite the fact that I am
accomplishing much academically in my life, I still feel inferior to the majority (whites)

and try each day, through psychotherapy, to overcome this dark cloud that hangs over me.
I was a good, kind, loving young child that didnt deserve to go through something like
that. No child should. (The effects of racial profiling)
Even though this woman experienced racial profiling in her youth, the effects of the experience
still stick with her in her everyday life. Despite her accomplishments, not even psychotherapy
can help erase that traumatic experience. Parents have also remarked the psychological effect
that racial profiling has had on their children. Many related how their children no longer wanted
to pursue certain careers as a result of profiling (The effects of racial profiling). When
individuals are profiled, a negative perception of themselves begins to develop in their mind. If
this sort of perception is engrained in a childs mind at a young age, it will affect the way they
live and the way they interact with the world around them. Winchester Key, president and CEO
of the East New York Urban Youth corps, explained the impression left on victims by saying, It
happens again and again. And they become angry because nobody hears their cry. So that hurt, it
stays right there, Kay said, pointing to his chest (New Yorkers Recall stop-and-frisk
harassment). Citizens of America should not have to experience the pain of social negligence nor
any sort of harassment. Delores Jones- Brown, interim director of the Center on Race, Crime and
Justice at John Jay College in New York, stated there is a crisis of perception where African
American males and females take their lives in their hands just walking out the door. (Killed by
Cops). Citizens should feel safe in their own country. They should not feel meshed or associated
with criminals. Many may argue that there are criminals amongst the citizens and that people
should comply with local law enforcement. However as one person stated each person wants
to be viewed and treated as an individual. Think about the harm that is being done to those who
find themselves within a cluster they do not belong in. Who can begin to appreciate the level of

frustration within these individuals and the future cost to society to disenfranchise these innocent
citizens? (The effects of racial profiling). Being mistaken for a criminal on a daily basis
becomes a nuisance and strips people not only of their dignity, but also of their individuality. Not
only does profiling affect ones mental understanding of themselves, but it also shifts how they
are perceived in society.
Racial profiling has a profound effect on societys perception of minorities. It is not
uncommon for a black or Hispanic individual to be characterized as a criminal or suspicious. A
study actually shows that blacks are more likely than other racial or ethnic group to be
characterized by Whites as violent, more likely to abuse drugs, and more likely to engage in
crimes than are Whites( Black Criminal Stereotypes and Racial Profiling). In 1990, a General
Social Survey revealed that 54% of Whites believe that Blacks are prone to violence. Just a
year later, another survey related that a clear majority of both Whites and Blacks agreed with
the statement blacks are aggressive or violent (Black Criminal Stereotypes and Racial
Profiling). Racial profiling creates stereotypes and can cause many to develop a prejudice
towards minority groups like Blacks or Hispanics. Prejudice can lead to other forms of
discrimination thus dividing communities nationwide. Further studies could infer that this sort of
profiling extends even beyond just the United States. Studies in Canada reveal that there is a
strong and widespread belief that Blacks are crime prone. Nearly half of the respondents
believed that a relationship exists between race and criminality, and, of those, 65% thought that
Black people committed more crimes than other racial or ethnic groups (Black Criminal
Stereotypes and Racial Profiling). The more people are falsely profiled, the more likely people
will falsely perceive them. In a sense those who are repeatedly targeted are deprived of their
innocence. This policy creates preconceived notions that blacks will or already have committed a

crime. Profiling essentially labels individuals as criminals and that is very erroneous. Societys
perception of minorities is so distorted that law enforcement establishes quotas to stop minority
groups.
Within the Law Enforcement, quotas are established to stop and harass minorities which
contributes to the degradation of a victims individual and public perception. In New York, police
officers engage in a policy known as Stop and Frisk. This policy is essentially when police
officers stop an individual who they deem suspicious and perform a pat down procedure to
determine whether or not that, the individual is not carrying a weapon or any other illegal
substance such as narcotics. Adhyl Polanco, an eight year NYPD veteran, recalls being told that
he had to record at least five stop-and-frisks, make one arrests, and write 20 tickets each month.
Polanco went on to say they said, You do it or you are going to become a Pizza Hut
deliveryman. (NYPD officers say they had stop-and-frisk quotas). The Police department is
very serious about executing this policy and making stops, which to many would not seem like a
bad thing because after all this was a policy to fight crime in the city. Though this is true,
distorted mentalities have come forth as a result. Personal accounts have shown how this policy
fuels the NYPDs racial bias. A CNN article relates the story of an NYPD officer:
In a recording Serrano made in February 2013, an inspector can be heard talking about
stop-and-frisks, saying that officers need to stop "the right people at the right time in the
right location. Later in the recording, Serrano and his superior have a conversation about
Mott Haven, a notoriously high-crime area in the south Bronx that the inspector says has
had many problems with robberies and grand larcenies. He continues to say, "The
problem was what? Male blacks. And I told you that at roll call, and I have no problem
telling you this: male blacks 14 to 20. (stop-and-frisk quotas)

This demonstrates how even though it may seem as this policy applies to everyone, law
enforcement has a clear idea of who they want to stop. An anonymous NYPD officer related
if youre a certain ethnicity standing on the corner, lieutenants, sergeants, they have no problem
searching, violating your rights, and racial profiling (The Hunted and the Hated). Young
Latinos and blacks are aware that they are being targeted as well. A Brooklyn teen named Llionto
Johnson admits, We know theyre going after us because were black, (New Yorkers recall
stop-and-frisk harassment). When police profile individuals, they strip people of their
constitutional rights, of their dignity and their respect. When these illegal searches occur
publicly, it can be embarrassing for an innocent victim of stop and frisk. Tameka Darden, a
victim of stop and frisk, related how she felt frustrated and humiliated after being stopped by
NYPD (New Yorkers Recall stop-and-frisk harassment). Experiencing being stopped can give a
wrong perception and even demean an individual who was mistaken or just stopped at random
by an officer who was just following orders of his or her superiors. By specifically targeting
young black and Latino males, law enforcement thus contribute and reinforce the stereotype or
preconceived notion that certain minority groups are more crime prone. Even though the police
are the ones who carry out the policy, many of them do not believe in the policies efficiency.
Many police officers have voiced their disapproval of this policy, however many follow
protocol out of the fear of becoming unemployed or experiencing any other sort of repercussions,
and this in turn affects how they perform their occupations. Because some departments are so
strict, officers find themselves under pressure just to make stops. An NYPD officer related.
some of us under stress stop innocent people and search them (the Hunted and the Hated).
Officers should not have to be put in that situation. NYPD Officer Serrano related that he would
receive retaliation from his superiors if he did not meet his quotas. He said, I would have a

day off and they'd give me forced (overtime)I would get yelled at, get low evaluations, they
would deny days off. If he reported his mistreatment, his fellow officers would plaster rat
stickers on his locker (stop-and-frisk quotas). Officers who did not meet expectations faced acts
of reprisal from other officers. They would receive reports intended to make them look bad.
Other NYPD veterans gave similar experiences. One officer recalls, they will come after
youmeaning transfer give you low evaluationsthey give you unwanted assignments. Put you
in a post which is very dangerous, high crime, by yourself in a corner. This is a form of
retaliation (the Hunted and the Hated). Racial profiling has become the cause of division and
tension amongst police officers. Victims who are targeted are dealing with stressed officers and it
is not always the best experience. Alvin, a victim of racial profiling recalls being called a
fucking mutt, a fucking piece of shit, and being told Im gonna break your arm...and Im
gonna punch you in the face (the Hunted and the Hated). Such an experience can be deemed as
an example of racism. Innocent citizens should not be victims of an officers anger or fury.
Racial profiling puts police in a poor mental state, and this affects the way they deal with the
public.
Within the past decade, police have been notorious for gunning down innocent victims,
particularly black men. Statistics have shown that black men are at a greater risk of being shot
than any other ethnicity. According to Pro Publica, ...The 1,217 deadly police shootings from
2010 to 2012 captured in the federal data show that blacks, age 15 to 19, were killed at a rate of
31.17 per million, while just 1.47 per million white males in that age range died at the hands of
police Racial profiling has already labeled African Americans as criminals, so in hindsight, it
is not surprising that blacks are being shot at a far greater rate than other races. The preconceived
notion that blacks are guilty makes it very easy for law enforcement to free themselves of

accountability. Various unarmed innocent young men have been victim of callous police officers.
The worst part about these killings is that police officers are never wrong or are never
accountable for their actions because the fact that they felt threatened suffice to dismiss any
potential repercussions (How Often are Unarmed Black Men Shot Down By Police?) . As of
right now, according to FiveThirtyEight Politics, theres no governmental effort at all to record
the number of unjustifiable homicides by police (How Many Americans The Police Kill Each
Year). ColorLines conducted a national investigation on fatal police shootings and, African
Americans were overrepresented among police shooting victims in every city the publications
investigated In three of the ten cities investigated, the percentage of black people killed by
police was at least double that of their share of the citys total population (Killed by the Cops)
This goes to show not only how ineffective this policy is, but also how coming across a
potentially stressed induced officers has meant a fatal ending for many victims. Subsequent to
fatal altercations, the media will portray an officer in a positive light. The officer is always
presented as the good guy, this means whomever was gunned down was guilty thus reinforcing
the notion that minorities are criminals. When innocent victims are gunned down, they cannot
speak up for themselves and testify against the false perception that is being presented. Cases
like that of Michael Ferguson, Amadou Diallo, Oscar Grant, or any other innocent individuals
who were gunned down, are subjects that just sink to the bottom of societys relevancy. Police
officers should not be obligated to enforce a policy that is morally wrong, because it will affect
their performance with the public. When police profile under stress, victims have a greater risk of
being the target of an officers frustration and potentially losing their life.
Even though many think racial profiling is an effective form of catching criminals, it is
unjustifiable and wrong. Racial profiling is a violation of both the 4th amendment, where it states

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and the 14th amendment, where it
states, No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities
of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property,
without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of
the laws, (U.S. Constitutional Amendments). Persons who are searched or seized are being
stripped of their inalienable rights that were set forth by the founders of this nation, and they are
being treated unfairly. Individuals can no longer be as expressive as they would like to be,
because they are aware of the risk that they are taking. Being stopped for the way you walk,
dress, or appear can subtly push an individual to conform to a safer look that will dissuade law
enforcement from harassing them. Racial profiling not only harasses individuals, but it has a
profound psychological effect on those who are targeted. One interaction can have a lifelong
impression on an individual. A child should not have to grow up thinking he is unworthy or
inferior to others merely because of his appearance. One could potentially grow up with lots of
resentment and hate towards not just law enforcement, but also higher authorities who condone
such practices. Racial profiling defames minority groups, and unjustly labels them as criminals.
This practice encourages generalization and can cause one to develop hatred toward those of a
particular group. Negative preconceived judgments or bias are not fair to the law abiding citizens
who follow the laws of land. Police involvement just reinforces and contributes to the
preconceived notion that many have. Despite the belief that racial/ethnic profiling is harmless,
this practice labels and brings forth misconceptions towards minorities. Racial profiling has the
power to reignite issues that once divided the nation in the past and they still pose a threat to the

nation. It is up to the American people to preserve the unity and identity of the United States of
America.

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