Racial Profiling

Britany Scott

CJ 1001

10/15/14

Racial Profiling

“The way police departments exercise this discretion has harmful distributive consequence,” asserts Nirej S. Sekhon. Racial profiling is still a major debate here in the United States and it is one that does not seem to be dissolving anytime soon. The biggest problem with this issue is that many people, who are a different race than Caucasian, are claiming they are being discriminated against when they are pulled over or caught doing illegal activities. Even young adults are claiming that it has happened to either them or someone they know closely. While of course on one side of the spectrum, people are accusing law enforcement of this unethical act, there is also another side that begs to be noticed. That side is the view from the local police officers who are working to do their job and eliminate crime as much as they can. Even though crime will never completely be stopped, it is the officer’s job to catch those who are acting inappropriately and attempt to get them to stop. Most law enforcement agents do not believe they are discriminating against any particular race and think they are only completing the task that was assigned to them when they joined the department. However, is it true that there might just be a little bit of both happening while police are out there patrolling the streets? Everyone is trying to make it seem like this case comes down to being either one side or the other. However, both sides need to take a step back and look at the other side’s perspective. Also, when looking at another side, both cases need to define and truly understand what the real definition of racial profiling is. That might be what the big mix-up is about. Not everyone has the same way of explaining or viewing, what or how this act is carried out, not only by law enforcement, but by people all over the world.

There are many cases and many claims of racial profiling happening when people are getting arrested or pulled...