Racial profiling has been a controversial issue for so many years in the United States and some countries in the world. Civil right violations have been thrown at several government and law enforcement agencies which ended with expensive litigation costs, with the debate whether it is an effective tool to fight criminals and terrorists had been ongoing for years.
What is Racial Profiling?
In law enforcement, this is an activity carried out by enforcers of the law wherein they investigate or stop any individual in traffic or round up people of the same race or ethnicity for crime suspicion. Although supporters consider this a crucial tool to keep the streets and the nation safe, there are also some groups who see this as unconstitutional.
List of Pros of Racial Profiling
1. It is an effective way to prevent terrorist attacks.
Since the devastating event on September 11, 2001, the term racial profiling has shifted from a law enforcer simply stopping an individual suspected of committing an offense based on race or ethnicity to questioning or investigating a person of Arab descent who might be suspected of terrorism. Supporters of this activity find it fair to subject a person to an investigation based on ethnic background to intercept possible terroristic attacks. Although critics do not agree with this, proponents say that in order to prevent the reoccurrence of attacks similar to 9/11, law enforcement officers may take in consideration race and ethnicity so long as it does not violate the constitution.
2. It is a tool to uphold the law and decrease crime rate as a whole.
Advocates of racial profiling are saying that potential criminals will be easily identified if profiling is used as long as it is done in the right way. Police officers, who are always in the limelight when issues on racial profiling come up, have divided views about it. In order to do their jobs and find criminals, they acknowledge the importance of race and ethnicity. They say that what they do is not racial profiling but are using data and actionable intelligence which include ethnic background.
List of Cons of Racial Profiling
1. It is clearly an act of discrimination.
Critics contend that since this method goes after people based on race, it is discriminatory. Stopping drivers on the streets or questioning an individual who is standing on the corner based on race and not on behavior or law violation is a form of discrimination.
2. It makes people of communities feel unsafe.
Some groups who are against racial profiling have expressed their concerns about the continuous practice of law enforcement and government agencies, targeting people based on their religion, nationality and ethnicity. They say that profiling creates a division between law enforcers and members of the community, for the reason that the latter feels unsafe from being accosted based on skin color.
Conclusion
The debate on the legality of racial profiling and the effects it has on the people who have experienced it one way or the other will still go a long way. However, reports show that the views on profiling vary depending on the context, with more people leaning to its being unconstitutional and insignificant.