Articles on Racial Profiling

Annotated Articles

Goldberg, Jeffrey. "The Color of Suspicion." New York Times Magazine, June 20, 1999, pp. 50-57, 64, 85, 87.
Racial profiling -- the police practice of stopping and searching of blacks because of their race, in the course of drug-interdiction efforts and combating crime -- has become one of the most highly-charged racial issues in America. A number of recent incidents -- and pronouncements by public officials -- have increased antagonism between police and minorities to the boiling point. The author, a contributing writer for the magazine, has condensed many hours of running interviews and police "ride-alongs" into a gripping yet nuanced article on the day-to-day realities of police work. Police officers feel that they are in "possession of a truth polite society is too cowardly to accept ... [blacks and other minorities] commit a disproportionate percentage of the types of crimes that attract the attention of police." Police, including black officers, will admit in private that racial "tunnel vision" is a hazard of the job. However, according to the author, "From the front seat of a police cruiser, racial profiling is not racism. It's a tool - and cops have no intention of giving it up."
Hicks, Chester. "Pull Over! You've Been Profiled!" State Government News, vol. 42, no. 8, October 1999, pp. 15-17.
In law enforcement, "profiling" means "scrutinizing people based on characteristics thought to indicate a likelihood of criminal behavior, says Hicks. Not all profiling is based on racial or ethnic characteristics. However, there is evidence that racial profiling (that deals with whether police target certain minorities as being more likely to commit drug-related offenses) is occurring. The author examines the issue and recent legislative efforts that address racial profiling -- most of them requiring gathering information, including race, on people stopped by police.
Leitzel, Jim. "Race and Policing." Society, vol. 38, no. 3, March/April 2001, pp. 38-42.
Although serious crime in the United States has dropped by more than 20 percent over the past decade, an ongoing controversy concerning the role of race in policing remains a major concern. Criminal ��profiles,�� compiled by the police, sometimes employ race as one factor in identifying potential miscreants. ��Racial disparities in policing appear to go well beyond isolated cases of abuse,�� says Leitzel. ��Generally speaking, black people, particularly young black males, tend to have much worse experiences with the police than do white Americans. These experiences range from the annoying - frequent traffic stops for minor or imagined violations - to the fatal. Leitzel takes a close look at the question of race-based policing, concluding that a strict ban must be adopted - even though enforcement ��surely will be imperfect.

Citations

"Justice Department to Begin Racial Study." Associated Press, September 10, 2001.
"Race-Based Suspect Selection and Colorblind Equal Protection Doctrine and Discourse UCLA Law Review, June 2001, pp. 1075-1124. (abstract)
"Black Reps Press for End to Racial Profiling During Meeting with Attorney General Ashcroft." Jet, March 19, 2001, pp. 6-8.
Carrick, Grady. "Professional Police Traffic Stops: Strategies to Address Racial Profiling." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, November 2000, pp. 8-10.
Cole, David. "The Color of Justice." The Nation, October 11, 1999, pp. 38-40.
Cole, David and Marcello, John. "Symposium Q: Is Public Concern about Federal Police Using Racial Profiling Justified?" Insight On The News, July 19, 1999, pp. 24-27
Derbyshire, John. "In Defense of Racial Profiling." National Review, February 19, 2001, pp. 12-15
Devarics, Charles. "Students, CBC Map Strategy to Combat Racial Profiling." Black Issues in Higher Education, December 21, 2000, pp. 8+.
Drummond, Tammerlin. "It's Not Just in New Jersey." Time, Jine 14, 1999, p. 61.
Foote, Micahel. "Do Traffic Cops Discriminate." State Legislatures, September 1999, p. 33.
Ghannam, Jeffrey. "Trafficking in Color." ABA Journal, May 2000, pp. 18-19.
Johnson, Kevin R. "Race Profiling in Immigration Enforcement." Human Rights, Winter 2001, pp. 23-24.
Kennedy, Randall. "Suspect Policy." The New Republic, September 13-20, 1999, pp. 30-35.
"Michigan State University Takes Initiative in Addressing Racial Profiling on Campus." Black Issues in Higher Education, December 21, 2000, pp. 20+.
Polakow-Suransky, Sasha. "Flying While Brown: Must Arab Men be Racially Profiled?" The American Prospect, November 19, 2001, pp. 14-17.
Roane, Kit R. "A Risky Trip Through 'White Man's Pass': In New Jersey, a Losing War on Racial Profiling." U.S. News &World Report, April 16, 2001, p. 24.
"United States: The Thin Blue Line." The Economist, May 6, 2000, pp. 32-33.
Rogers, Elizabeth. "Fear of Driving." ABA Journal, July 2000, p. 94.
Schott, Richard G. "The Role of Race in Law Enforcement: Racial Profiling or Legitimate Use?" The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, November 2001, pp. 24-32.
Taylor, Stuart, Jr. "Cabbies, Cops, Pizza Deliveries, and Racial Profiling." National Journal, June 17, 2000, pp. 1891-1892.
Taylor, Stuart, Jr. "Politically Incorrect Profiling: A Matter of Life or Death." National Journal, November 3, 2001, pp. 3406-3408.
Taylor, Stuart, Jr. "Racial Profiling: The Liberals are Right." National Journal, April 24, 1999, pp. 1084-1085.
Toby, Jackson. "Are Police the Enemy?" Society, May/June 2000, pp. 38-42.