Racial Profiling

Argumentative Essay # 99290

African-American Studies > Racism
Criminology > Public and Crime
English > Argument

Racial Profiling

This paper examines the problem of racial profiling in the United States and Canada.

1,217 words () | 8 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that courts give the police discretion in who they stop during traffic stops, but statistics prove that more African-Americans are stopped than whites. The paper reveals that many African-Americans are frisked, their vehicles are taken apart and they either get a ticket or go to jail for some bogus reason. The paper points out the opinion that racial profiling is not a problem, but disagrees and argues that changes must be made to stop this racial profiling.

From the Paper:

"Imagine a young African American driving A Ford Explorer to an interview when he is pulled over by the Georgia State Patrol. The young man was driving five miles over the speed limit or less. The police officer asks for back up though he does not appear to have a valid reason for back up. The two officers take apart the Ford Explorer looking for drugs (Callahan and Anderson 2001). Would this same scene have happened with a white male? It is important to look at the definition of racial profiling, how the courts give police officers the discretion to stop African Americans and how the problem of racial profiling should be stopped."

Sample of Sources Used:

American Civil Liberties Union: Court approves settlement of ACLU lawsuit to end racial profiling on Arizona highways. (2006). Retrieved August 16, 2006, from http://www.aclu.org/racialjustice/racialprofiling/26363prs20060803.html
Gabor, T. (2004). Inflammatory rhetoric on racial profiling can undermine police services. Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice 46 (4), 457-466.
Jonsson, P. (2001). Courts balk at limiting racial profiling. Christican Science Monitor 93 (155), 1.
Melchers, R. (2003). Do Toronto police engage in racial profiling? Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice 45 (3), 347-366.
Racial profiling: Old and new. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved August 16, 2006, from http://www.aclu.org/racialjustice/racialprofiling/index.html