Racial Profiling & Response of government officials to racial and

ethnic issues

By: David Nettles, Mimi Harvill, KJ Eberle, and Jesse Palmer

Racial Profiling case in NY• Police are using the stop

and frisk without probable cause

• 85% of victims are black or hispanics

• Use race as a reason to stop someone

• 600.000 stop and frisks per year

• Stop, question, and frisk is NYPD policy

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Bias Based Profiling Policy

Bias Based Profiling

Occurs when an Officer of the Law takes police action based on the officers opinion, referring to a bias or a stereotype of an individual: race, color, sex, age, creed, etc.

Criminal Profiling

Occurs when an Officer of the Law takes police action after the evaluation of facts based on current investigations and/or historical knowledge of an individual: race, color, sex, age, creed, etc.

Sheriff David Gee

The policy states the Sheriff’s Office will protect the Constitutional rights of every citizen.

Bias Based Profiling (racial profiling) is not the same as Criminal Profiling; “One is an investigative tool; the other, a discriminatory practice (HCSO).”

ARIZONA SENATE BILL 1070: STATE SANCTIONED RACIAL PROFILING?

• April 23, 2010, the state of Arizona enacts Senate Bill 1070 (deters entry and presence of aliens in violation of federal immigration law)

• Criminal enforcement VS

Immigration enforcement

The Racial Profiling Prevention act, H.R. 4398

• New legislation that has been put forth by member of the House of Representatives to aid in the elimination of racial profiling

• $7.5 million would be taken from the Highway Trust Fund, for 5 yrs,

• The hope is that the money given to states enforcing laws against racial profiling, would help cover costs for traffic stop analysis and to further develop programs against racial profiling.

Man Abused Over Filming A Case Of Racial Profiling

Australian police officers stopped a young black man walking down the street and began to pat him down. A young bystander and his friend believed he was being racially profiled so they both began to record the situation. A Few minutes pass and officer go over to the young man and his friend and began to question why they I are recording. The young man tells them why and officers begin to look for reasons to take them into custody after a few moments officers grabbed his friend with force and began searching him for no apparent reason.

Governments apology for slavery and Jim Crow Law• Jim Crow Law

considered African Americans as 2nd class citizens

• Government officials agree that the institution of slavery was wrong

Reginald Pitts

Racial profiling feared at Wal-MartThe Story: Store managers delay a black customer for two hours. It took police 19 minutes to figure out he did nothing wrong.

Sharon Weber, spokeswoman for the chain, based in Bentonville, Ark. "We do not tolerate racial discrimination or racial profiling at Wal-Mart (Albright, 2005).”

The Facts: GAF purchases $50,000 yearly on Wal-Mart gift cards from a Brandon, FL store. GAF gives these cards as a reward to selected employees. Usually a white female would purchase the cards; no issues. In 2005, Reginald Pitts placed an order for 520 cards and the GAF issued the $13,600 check. At the point of sale, he was considered suspect of a crime.

Wal-Mart delayed Pitts; even though the cards were printed, Pitts provided adequate ID, and GAF telephoned Wal-Mart to accept the transaction.

Walmart’s story

Wal-Mart said the checks were forged and called the Sheriff’s office to report a felonious act.

Deputy Sheriffs arrive to address a felonious report. 19 minutes later, the deputies determined no crime was committed.

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies’ story

Efforts To Prosecute Individuals Recording Officers• Cook County State’s Attorney

Anita Alvarez is pushing to make it illegal to record officers in the United States

• Video taping allowed by citizens is the single most important deterrent of police abuse and has prosecuted numerous officers lying on stand

• One of the most famous police brutality videos “Beating of Rodney King”