Racial Profiling A Method Of Spotting And Stopping Drug...

Taylor Anderson Acc. Academic Literacy Mr. Dakin 17 November 2014 Racial Profiling by Police Ever since the late 1970 s profiling was associated with a method of spotting and stopping drug traffickers. The profiling provided not only a quick way to see evidence of concealment in the vehicle, but included age and race characteristics of possible drivers (Data Collection Resource Center). The controversy is over whether or not there are a disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics involved with law enforcement that reflects police racism or is it merely the outcome of disproportionate minority crime (MacDonald). MacDonald reported the high rates of minority stops and arrests do not accurately reveal racism was the cause. In the past†¦show more content†¦With this information an officer pulls over a speeding Honda accord that also happens to have a black driver. The officer exercises awareness in looking for any signs of drugs while issuing the traffic ticket (Mac Donald). Is there hard evidence that profiling exists? According to a new study, black drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike are twice as likely to speed as white drivers, and are even more dominant among drivers breaking 90 miles per hour. With that we can see that racial profiling can be a myth (MacDonald). Granted, highway stops should almost always be color-blind, but when a police officer has many clues to use, race may be among them (MacDonald). From the 1980 s to 1990 s complaints were filed by African Americans that state troopers were regularly stopping and searching them (Harris). Dr. John Lamberth of Temple University made an analysis of state police stops, citations, and arrests made in comparison with the black population. His statistical data sorely revealed that there was in fact a vast disparity in the number of blacks arrested, as 73.2 percent. With only 13.5 percent of the cars on the New Jersey turnpike having a black occupant, concluding that the race of the occupants and/or drivers of the cars is a decisive factor or a factor with great explanatory power.(Harris). Another analysis was done in the state of Maryland