Is Racial Profiling Ever Justifiable?
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MEET THE PRESS: RAY KELLY SPEAKING ON RACIAL PROFILING
In this video from Meet The Press, Commissioner Ray Kelly speaks on racial profiling and how it's a form of good policing. He disagrees with judge Shichein Lynn when she writes, "officers are conducting stops in a racially discriminatory manner. In their zeal to defend a policy they believe to be effective, they have willfully ignored overwhelming proof that the policy of targeting the right people is racially discriminatory and therefore violates the united states constitution." Ray Kelly insists that police only use probable cause and reason of suspicion to detect criminals.
In this video from Meet The Press, Commissioner Ray Kelly speaks on racial profiling and how it's a form of good policing. He disagrees with judge Shichein Lynn when she writes, "officers are conducting stops in a racially discriminatory manner. In their zeal to defend a policy they believe to be effective, they have willfully ignored overwhelming proof that the policy of targeting the right people is racially discriminatory and therefore violates the united states constitution." Ray Kelly insists that police only use probable cause and reason of suspicion to detect criminals.
Racial profiling is a situation which cannot be justified. It is, "The practice of singling out members of racial or ethnic groups for relatively minor traffic or petty criminal offenses in order to question and/or search them for guns, drugs, or other contraband", meaning profiling has to happen only if an individual, or a group is targeted by law enforcement based on judgement without a reason of suspicion.
One has to notice when it's actually happening, or if it's a matter of good policing. 'Good policing' as in using facts and previous knowledge to pursue a criminal. An example would be, a police officer receiving a report on a thief who is a young Hispanic male wearing a black t-shirt and cargo shorts. Of course in this case, the officer is going to be on the look out for a Hispanic male who fits the given description. If someone who fits the description of the criminal is falsely accused and searched by the officer, then there was probable cause and reason of suspicion for the officer's actions.
One has to notice when it's actually happening, or if it's a matter of good policing. 'Good policing' as in using facts and previous knowledge to pursue a criminal. An example would be, a police officer receiving a report on a thief who is a young Hispanic male wearing a black t-shirt and cargo shorts. Of course in this case, the officer is going to be on the look out for a Hispanic male who fits the given description. If someone who fits the description of the criminal is falsely accused and searched by the officer, then there was probable cause and reason of suspicion for the officer's actions.
Levels of Probable Cause