An Argument Against Racial Profiling by Police Essay example

This essay will bring to light the problem of racial profiling in the police force and propose the eradication of any discrimination. The Fourth Amendment states â€Å"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 no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.† Despite this right, multiple minorities across the country suffer at the hands of police officers through racial profiling; the singling out of a person or persons as the main suspect of a crime based on their race. Many people have also suffered†¦show more content†¦These searches are meant to illustrate the increased police efficiency with the discovery of illegal contrabands, however, recent research has shown repeatedly that increasing the number of stops and searches among minorities doesn’t lead to more drug seizures than are found in routine traffic stops and searches among white drivers. Mino rities are also subject to an increased number of arrests for minor crimes. In Minneapolis, African-Americans are 11 times more likely to be thrown into jail (but not necessarily convicted) for drinking in public, 19 times more likely for trespassing, 27 times more likely for lurking, and 42 times more likely for not having a valid license, than that of while citizens. When faced with a threat human instinct is to kill first instead of to be killed. Police are trained to disable a threat and as a last resort, kill. What does it say about America’s law enforcement when an officers’ victim is a person of colour who is unarmed? A recent and well known case of unjust demise by police is 22-year-old Oscar Grant. A young black man gunned down, whilst handcuffed, by a white police officer. Grant was unarmed and posed no threat to the officer. Similarly, 23-year-old Robert Tolan Jr. was given the same fate by an officer who allegedly received inaccurate information about a stolen vehicle. Like Grant, Tolan happened to be a black man shot by a white police officer while unarmed. NoShow MoreRelatedAn Argument Against Racial Profiling by Police1379 Words   |  6 PagesRacial profiling in the dictionary is â€Å"the assumption of criminality among ethnic groups: the alleged policy of some police to attribute criminal intentions to members of some ethnic groups and to stop and question them in disproportionate numbers without probable cause (â€Å"Racial Profiling†).† In other words racial profiling is making assumptions that certain individuals are more likely to be involved in misconduct or criminal activity based on that individual’s race or ethnicity. Racial profilingRead MoreThe Problem With Racial Profiling1561 Words   |  7 Pages we have a problem in our justice system with racial profiling. Racial profiling is defined as targeting or stopping an individual based on his or her race without suspicion of a crime. On one hand, we have people who are completely against racial profiling. On the other hand, some believe that there is no problem with racial profiling. I am very interested in finding out both sides of this argument. What are the rights and wrongs of racial profiling? I chose Jeffrey Toobin’s (2013) blog post RightsRead MoreArrested Development Essay1054 Words   |  5 Pages Williams ------------------------------------------------- EN102 Outline for argument analysis: Arrested Development I. ------------------------------------------------- Introduction: * ------------------------------------------------- James Forman Jr. targets this article towards conservatives who oppose racial profiling * ------------------------------------------------- Claim: Forman claims that racial profiling is an ineffective way to enforce the law and should be stopped. ------------------------------------------------- Read MoreRacial Profiling And The Right For Police Officers1526 Words   |  7 Pageswhat makes us unique; it helps identify ourselves amongst the billions of people in the world. However, does the previous history of your race or ethnicity grant the right for police officers to profile you? That question is countlessly being debated amongst American citizens and even top government officials. Racial profiling is a subject that has stirred up so much controversy in the past that it still hasn t been fully resolved to this day. To put into historical context, periods of American historyRead MoreShould The Color Of One’S Skin Subject Them To A Higher1684 Words   |  7 Pagescontroversial topic in today’s society and leaves many confused. There are many arguments from all sides, some saying that this practice has helped catch many criminals and that people would not have to worry if they are not doing anything wrong. Oth ers deny it all together and say that racial profiling simply does not exist and police officers are just trying to do their job. These arguments are both wrong. Not only does racial profiling exist, but it is wrong and only serves to create fear where there shouldRead MorePersuasive Essay On Racial Profiling1486 Words   |  6 Pages Racial Profiling is an act of automatically defining or identifying someone based on their ethnicity. This act was most recognized during the late 1800’s in the U.S. under the Jim Crow law. It was passed in order to segregate whites and the colored in America. It fundamentally made whites superior to all. Though, in 1964 the Civil Rights Act passed stating that anybody of any ethnicity or religion are to be equal and united. However, today this law has never been truly accepted when seeing the statisticsRead MoreThe Color Of Justice : Race, Ethnicity, And Crime939 Words   |  4 Pagesand victimized by excessive physical force; has been a real issue even in today’s society. However, police departments are trying to combat the way police officers interact with the community; especially those of color. Although steps have been takes there are still some instances where police aggression happens. With all of the issues that arise between certain minority populated community’s police it is evident that conflict theory reins true. An example is the number of arrests, unjustified shootingsRead MoreRacial Profiling Term Paper1588 Words   |  7 PagesRacial profiling is a popular method used by law officers in order to hypothetically enhance crime prevention by targeting minorities, because they are more likely to commit a crime. According to Wikipedia, racial profiling is defined as: the inclusion of race in the profile of a person considered likely to commit a particular crime or type of crime. In other words, it is targeting specific ethnic groups because they are more likely to commit certain crimes. Racial p rofiling is a flagrant form ofRead MorePolice Brutality Of African Americans1405 Words   |  6 Pagesyears police brutality towards African Americans has increased. This violence has resulted in riots across the United States. The August 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri many Americans, some who are former Civil Rights activists, have spoken out against police brutality. Black Lives Matter states that the movement’s goal is to bring justice to the present unjust police killings of African Americans. Looking at prior cases of brutality and its connection to racial profiling, suchRead MoreRacial Profiling in Canada1166 Words   |  5 PagesRacial profiling is the act of selecting targets for criminal investigation not on behavioural merit, but exclusively on markers of personal identity such as race, ethnicity, and religious orientation (Perry, 2011, p.9). In other words, racial profiling is the by-product of subjecting individuals who are from a particular racial community to a higher degree of scrutiny and surveillance by criminal justice system agents when compared to other racial communities (Wortley and Owusu-Bempah, 2011, p.135)