Running head: RACIAL PROFILING AND AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES
Racial Profiling and African American Males
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RACIAL PROFILING AND AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES
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Racial Profiling and African American Males
Racial Profiling act of 2001 defines racial profiling as
The practice of a law enforcement agent relying, to any degree, on race, ethnicity, or
national origin in selecting which individuals to subject to routine investigatory activities,
or in deciding upon the scope and substance of law enforcement activity following the
initial routine investigatory activity, except that racial profiling does not include reliance
on such criteria in combination with other identifying factors when the law enforcement
agent is seeking to apprehend a specific suspect whose race, ethnicity, or national origin
is part of the description of the suspect (Weitzer, R., & Tuch, S. A. (2002).
Profiling takes place when law enforcement agents handle race as the important aspect
when determining whom to stop and interrogate or when an officer of the law “investigates a
person” because they consider that “members of that person’s racial or ethnic group are more
likely than the population at large to commit the kind of crime the officer is investigating.
Though profiling is often referenced when dealing with traffic stops, it can be used in any state in
which minorities are being stopped by an officer of the law because of their race or ethnicity.
Law enforcement officers are profiling built on race any time they stop, question, or look for an
individual exclusively because of their race or ethnic. The major problem with profiling is that
officers target minorities during their normal routines because they consider minorities are more
likely to commit crimes, which in turn is a violation of their rights.
Over the past few years racial profiling has become a controversial topic in political,
academic, and social arenas. The unbalanced number of racial minorities stopped and
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investigated throughout the 1990s led to controversy about law enforcement personnel using race
as a determinant in whether or not to stop or investigate someone.
In United States racial profiling is one of the continues problems. Most of the people
states that racial profiling is more established now a days; however, this has been the concern
since slavery.
For instance, allegations of racial profiling have been expected at security personnel of
department stores who suspect African American customers of stealing. Historically, however,
accusations of racial profiling have resulted from encounters at traffic stops and have been aimed
at local and state police. The impulsion for police traffic stops and searches may be the belief
that members of certain minority groups are more likely to be engaged in the unlawful drug
trade. In searching for illicit drugs, U.S. Customs agents and Border Patrol officers have been
changed with racial profiling as well. On the other hand, why are African Americans males the
number one target of this ever-escalating issue? Do African American males have the most
criminal record among police statistics and/or the United States Census Bureau or does it have to
do with the vehicle they drive, the color of their skin, the amount of occupants in their vehicle, or
the traffic violation committed? To determine why there are many controversial problems
regarding African American males and racial profiling, we are going to look at racial profiling by
police officers; examine the study, research, and statistics behind racial profiling; and how racial
profiling influences male African Americans.
Racial profiling is established throughout most of the law enforcement community and is
not confined to one region of the country. Different races understand treatment from the police in
very different ways. For example, Weitzer, R., & Tuch, S. A. (2002, conducted a survey in 2002
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of 1,792 white, African American, and Hispanic United States residents. Thirty seven percent of
African Americans and 23 percent of Hispanic surveyed admitted that they feel they have been
“treated unfairly” by the police in their own city, but only 1 percent of whites report the same.
African Americans and Hispanics were also more likely to report that a member of their
household was being treated in an unfair manner by police.
Young African American males, in their late and early twenties, are frequently targeted
by the police and represent a inconsistent number of arrests. A 1999 Gallup exposed that 72
percent of African American males age 18-34 and 42 percent of African Americans as an
entirety belived that they had been stopped because of their race.
More specifically, a 1990s study of Maryland's State Troopers evidently confirmed that
profiling is a main trouble. Interstate 95, which runs through Maryland, was first analyzed to see
what races tend to speed more and it was revealed that all races break the speed limit on a regular
basis (Stone, 1999). of the 5,741 recorded observations, African American drivers composed
about 17.5 percent of all motorists traveling on the highway and whites composed 74.7 percent
of the total. Although, 93.3 percent of white drivers were violating traffic laws, only 19.7 percent
were subjected to vehicle searches, while a little over 80 percent of African Americans had their
vehicles searched when stopped for speeding.
Weitzer, R., & Tuch, S. A. (2002, performed a study of over 87,000 New Jersey State
Police stops made in 1997 and 1998 to resolve the nature of racial profiling in that state. Results
of this study confirmed that Hispanics and African Americans made up a large number of traffic
stops and searches. Although 60 percent of drivers in the areas were white, African Americans
were targeted in over half of all searches and Hispanic in 24 percent. Over 72 percent of stops
leading to searches of were of vehicles driven by people of color. When arrests of drivers were
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made, only 32.5 percent of white motorists were taken into custody, whereas almost 60 percent
of African Americans were.
With the deficient of equality between racial communities, changes to the police policy
were completed to correct the inequality. The conception behind the changes to the policy is to
lower the level to that officials can use racial qualities on a person. However, some claim that by
forbidding an officer from using some features on a person could reduce the effectiveness of
policing and increase criminal activity. Persico (2002) states, “those who engage in certain
criminal actions tend to share definite traits connecting to certain socioeconomic and ethnic
backgrounds” (p.1472). Therefore, giving officers reasoning behind the features of certain
motorists. Either way one looks at the issue concerning male African Americans and law
enforcement officials there will always be some basic tension and conflicting accusations for the
cause that some citizens may argue for equal treatment within the United States laws and others
will argue that law enforcement officials are not doing their job as far as crime goes. The
principle of law enforcement and the principle of equality among African American males make
this issue even more difficult to analyze (Persico, 2002).
In accordance to Delores (2007), although, various things in policing have changed as far
as policies goes, many things will stay the identical. Changes to the police policy were to
improve the image of police in certain communities, and influence citizens in a constructive way
through trust and achievement. However, Delores (2007) states, officers perceive African
American males as people who are capable of illegal behavior even though a crime has yet to be
committed. In addition, in noncriminal or minimal criminal behavior police view male African
Americans as the most dangerous. Police officers developed ways to recognize certain kind of
people, as symbolic assailants, meaning, police recognize the gesture, garments, language of a
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person, which is then understand as a prelude to violence. However, sometimes officers make
mistakes and innocent citizens like African American males end up paying the definitive price.
In 1998, four African American males name Keyshon Moore, Rayshawn Brown, LeRoy
Jarmaine Grant and Danny Reyes all fell victims to racial profiling. The four victims were on
their way to a basketball audition in hopes of winning a scholarship at Carolina College when
White state troopers, James Kenna and John Hogan stop the victims for speeding and upon
approach fired 11 shots at the van, hitting Mr. Brown, Grant, and Reyes. The driver Keyshon
Moore were the only one not hurt in this incident. Troopers, Kennan and Hogan claim the driver
Mr. Moore put the van in reverse upon their approach. The four sued the state of New Jersey and
both troopers for shooting without provocation. The victims also claim racial profiling to be the
cause of this incident. The state awarded the four men $13 million. Troopers, Kenna and Hogan
face charges of misconduct, falsifying records, and aggravated assault. Moreover, trooper Kenna
faces charges for attempted murder (Delores, 2007; Jet, 2001).
The thought of racial profiling is hard to grasp, especially when police officers are supposed
to be there to protect and serve our communities. Racial profiling started back in the 1980s when
certain groups were the target of Americans war on drugs. Officers were encouraged to stop and
search a specific minority group. However, several years later, police departments had to change
their procedures. Therefore, does racial profiling still exist, if so, has anyone once thought how
police misconduct affected its victims. According to the United States Law, although, racial
profiling is condemned, officers still have the right to seize a person’s property if he or she feels
that the person is a suspected drug dealer. Therefore, until there are changes in the seizure laws,
racial profiling will continue for years to come. A male African American student, well dress,
was on his way to a job interview one morning when Georgia State Patrol pulled him over on I-
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75 for speeding. Ensuring himself that the pullover should not take that long for he was only
speeding. However, before the officer approached his vehicle, he called for backup. When the
second patrol car pulled up, officers ordered the driver out of his vehicle and ordered him to set
on one of their patrol cars. The officers stated that they were conducting a drug search on the
vehicle. During their search one of the officers stated to the driver, “Where did you get the
money for this vehicle”? After the driver’s SUV was demolished, officers let the driver go after
not finding anything illegal. Once the officers left, the driver sat in his vehicle weeping in
humiliation and anger over what had just now happened to him. This is what male African
Americans are going through on a daily basis and although, there were changes in police
policies, African American males are continuing to be the number one target of police
misconduct (Callahan, Anderson, 2005).
Racial profiling will continue to be a problem in the United States, even though President
Clinton condemned it back in 1999, for the reason that officers will continue to find other ways
to get around the system without the use of pretext. According to the Supreme Court in 1996,
officers have the right to stop and search a person and investigate possible criminal conduct even
if the officer lacks probable cause or reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed. For
the reason that every driver committees some kind of minor traffic violation. However, does it
still give officers the right to target mainly male African Americans? Why do officers feel that
African American males are most likely to engage in some kind of criminal activity? Does the
reason behind this misconduct have to do the Criminal Justices Census Bureau? No one will
know exactly what is behind officer’s misconduct; however, something has to be done to put an
end to racial profiling, especially when it states in the constitution that everyone is created equal.
RACIAL PROFILING AND AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES
References
Callahan, G., & Anderson, W. (2005). Racial profiling unfairly targets minorities. Retrieved on
March 9, 2008, from Axia College Online Library: Gale PowerSearch Document.
Delores, J. B. (2007). Forever the symbolic assailant: The more things change, the more they
remain the same. Criminology & Public Policy. Vol. 6(1), p.103-121. Retrieved on
March 8, 2008, from Axia College Online Library: EBSCOhost.
Jet. (2001). New jersey to pay $12.9 million to four racial profiling victims. Vol. 99(10), p. 8.
Retrieved from Axia College Online Library: EBSCOhost.
Persico, N. (2002). Racial profiling, fairness, and effectiveness of policing. Vol. 92(5).
Retrieved, from Axia College Online Library: EBSCOhost.
Weitzer, R., & Tuch, S. A. (2002). Perceptions of racial profiling: Race, class, and personal
experience. Criminology: George Washington University. Vol. 40(2). Retrieved from
Axia College Online Library: EBSCOhost.
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