Research Paper Example on Racial Profiling: A Discriminatory Practice

Introduction

Racial profiling (or ethnic profiling) refers to the course of action of the police, but also security, immigration, and customs officers, in which they make their decision to stop or check someone for personal, actual or suspected traits, such as skin color, rather than based on people's behavior and reasonable suspicion. This also explains the problem and the discriminatory aspect in connection with this procedure. It is not the behavior or abnormalities that underlie the official act, but rather certain unchangeable characteristics of people based on which conclusions can be drawn about the behavior of people (Nadal et al., 2017). People are suspected of criminal acts because of their external appearance, which they cannot change. Racial profiling by police officers is a major issue, not only in America but also in European states. The recent (and still ongoing) riots in America are because of police brutality against minorities (mostly black people), which is a perfect case of racial profiling. The current research intends to determine how racial minorities are impacted by the policing strategies employed by law enforcement.

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Research Statement

Although cultural diversity is increasingly socially accepted, still being a member of a minority group can generate discrimination. It is unfortunate that law enforcement officers, who are supposed to be protecting all citizens, are also involved in racial profiling practices against minorities (Ritchie & Jones-Brown, 2017). Racial profiling generates a lot of hatred and resentment against police officers leading to worsening of the situation. The current research focuses on determining how racial minorities are impacted by the policing strategies employed by law enforcement and what can be done to improve the situation.

Research Topic Justification

As observed in the recent American riots, police profiling has many disadvantages. It makes minorities develop a deep hatred and resentment against the police. It reaches a breaking point and people resort to riots leading to the destruction of property and worse, the death of many people. Because of these and many other reasons, it is important to research how racial profiling needs to be eliminated. It is important that discrimination of all kinds is taken into account and not without consequences (Romero, 2006). Racism should not be tolerated, more so in the police department since these are people who are supposed to be protecting all citizens. It is important that the discussion about racial profiling within police authorities and about where racism and discrimination are institutionalized, albeit unconsciously, is anchored. Discourse can be used to create problem awareness and to raise awareness.

Research Problem

The focus of the study will be to determine how racial minorities are impacted by the policing strategies employed by law enforcement. The research will also propose strategies that can be adopted to minimise racial profiling in the police force and how minorities can be included in policing.

Significance and Importance of the Research

The effects of racial profiling must not be disregarded. If people are frequently victims of discrimination, this can lead to their expected behavior towards them and out of frustration at some point leading them to behave and become traumatized. Whole population groups can be stigmatized and thus perceived by the majority society as unfounded as a danger. Most of the time, recurring experiences of discrimination also lead to a loss of trust in the authorities and thus to a negative impact on relationships with communities that are valuable for law enforcement and security, which can be of great benefit in connection with the investigation of crime (Deuchar, Fallik, & Crichlow, 2019). Therefore, the findings of the current research will be hugely beneficial to law enforcement officers who will know the best strategies to adopt when policing racial minorities. Currently, most minorities fear and hate the police, this perception needs to change. By conducting this research, it will be possible to establish what police officers need to do to change this negative perception.

Research Background

Racial profiling is usually based on (un) conscious stereotypical ideas and the use of this tactic reinforces existing stereotypes in society. The police see black teenagers in baggy jeans and hoodies in a park and believe they have discovered drug dealers loitering in them. The use of racial profiling leads to wasted resources. Racial profiling is not an efficient tactic and therefore not an effective instrument of law enforcement. The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the UN Human Rights Committee has already stated that racial profiling is an illegal tactic that discriminates against and dignifies people and violates their dignity and thus violates the international prohibition of discrimination (Coleman & Kocher, 2019). Racial profiling would only be permissible and justifiable if it could be demonstrated statistically that certain population groups are more prone to criminal acts.

According to Nadal et al. (2017), the bad image of the police as a whole seems to derive from three factors: (a) what is perceived as lack of efficiency - the performance of the police does not fulfill the expectations of the population, does not identify those responsible for the crimes, does not recover lost assets and does not prevent new crimes: by not doing what is expected of them, they would not be able to give the population a feeling of security; (b) the continuity of police violence and arbitrariness and (c) the continuity of society's lack of control over the police. To achieve success in this objective, the local police must maintain good relations with the minority groups that make up the diverse society of their Community, as well as establish a positive image of police work. People from minority groups should be encouraged to take an interest in participating in the local police service.

The police must have very clear complaints and claims procedures to resolve complaints of discrimination against their members accused of racial profiling. If racism is addressed within the police services, the police will gain credibility in the eyes of society. Procedures that must compulsorily have a prompt and forceful response, not only to deal with this racism within the police services, if any but above all to generate trust and credibility with the society they serve and to win effectiveness and quality in the provision of its services (Kamalu, 2016). To guarantee police effectiveness in areas where minorities stay, it is essential to prepare protocols or procedural manuals that regulate the different phases and aspects of the police function concerning this specific problem, as some local and autonomous police services do. Furthermore, it is important to make police procedures transparent, especially for minority groups. The acting policemen must explain understandably to the members of the diverse society, the judicial processes in which they can be immersed, and the police action itself.

The local police will have to display their professional competence when dealing with discrimination issues and must work in a coalition with multiple agencies. This also includes working together with authorities and other public services, leaders of minority communities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to obtain and exchange information on hate crimes and discriminatory acts (Ritchie & Jones-Brown, 2017). In its cooperation with other public services, the police should network with other professionals who serve ethnic minority communities, for example, health workers, mediators, and social workers, who can provide their help in times of crisis.

Members of the police should also be advised to explain why they are arresting a person, even if the latter does not ask them the question, because such an attitude helps to avoid profiling being perceived as motivated by prejudices and thus reinforces the confidence of the population in the police (Deuchar et al., 2019). Local communities should be involved in the fight against discriminatory profiling; it is by dialoguing with the population that the police will gain their trust and be respected.

Furthermore, while communicating with the media, the police should take care not to disseminate and perpetuate prejudices by establishing a link between, on the one hand, national or ethnic origin or the situation under the legislation on the immigration and, on the other hand, delinquent behavior (Coleman & Kocher, 2019). As for the media, they should avoid giving a stereotypical image of persons from different minority groups such as migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers; these stereotypes run the risk of fueling racism and hatred and of helping to “normalize” discriminatory practices, including ethnic profiling. Rather, the media should focus on fully reflecting the positive contribution that minority groups make to the communities where they live.

Methodology

Data will be collected through qualitative research questionnaires and focus groups. In qualitative social research, a questionnaire is often used to collect data. Quantification translates empirical facts into numbers. With this research method, a representative sample is selected for the survey, which should representatively represent the environment to be researched. Focus groups consist of grouping people, in groups of 6 to 10 (Heine, 2019). These people, selected according to some common sociodemographic characteristics, debate the subjects for 40 to 120 minutes. These debates are recorded on video and later analyzed. The formation of groups with individuals who have characteristics similar to each other is important to maintain the cohesion of the group (Heine, 2019). This would avoid unnecessary conflicts, which could lead to unproductive discussions. The environment where the focus group takes place is decisive for the success of qualitative research. Quality audio and video structure are required. All the speeches of the participants must be recorded. It is also necessary to film all the non-verbal expressions of the group - an angry face or disapproving gesture, for example.

Ethical Considerations

While conducting research, ethics have to be put into consideration. First and foremost, before filling the questionnaire, respondents will be told what the research is about and its benefits. Secondly, the names and details of all respondents will remain private. Privacy and confidentiality will be highly maintained. Third, respondents who accept filling the questionnaire but change their minds later will not be forced to continue. Lastly, all participants will be thanked for their contribution and responses.

References

Coleman, M., & Kocher, A. (2019). Rethinking the “Gold Standard” of Racial Profiling: § 287 (g), Secure Communities and Racially Discrepant Police Power. American Behavioral Scientist, 63(9), 1185-1220. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332519726_Rethinking_the_Gold_Standard_of_Racial_Profiling_287g_Secure_Communities_and_Racially_Discrepant_Police_Power

Deuchar, R., Fallik, S. W., & Crichlow, V. J. (2019). Despondent officer narratives and the ‘post-Ferguson’effect: exploring law enforcement perspectives and strategies in a southern American state. Policing and society, 29(9), 1042-1057. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325432918_Despondent_officer_narratives_and_the_'post-Ferguson'_effect_exploring_law_enforcement_perspectives_and_strategies_in_a_southern_American_state