2.1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The student will be able to identify logical and
social arguments against racial profiling.
A. There are appropriate reasons for unusual traffic stops (suspicious behavior, the
officer's intuition, MOs, etc.), but police work must stop short of cultural stereotyping and
racism
B. Racial profiling would result in criminal arrests, but only because it would target all
members of a race randomly – the minor benefits would be far outweighed by the
distrust and anger towards law enforcement by minorities and the public as a whole
C. Racial profiling is self-fulfilling bad logic: if you believed that minorities committed
more crimes, then you might look for more minority criminals, and find them in
disproportionate numbers
D. Inappropriate traffic stops generate suspicion and antagonism towards officers and
make future stops more volatile – a racially-based stop today can throw suspicion on
tomorrow's legitimate stop
E. By focusing on race, you would not only be harassing innocent citizens, but
overlooking criminals of all races and backgrounds – it is a waste of law enforcement
resources
3.0 RACIAL PROFILING VERSUS REASONABLE SUSPICION
3.1 UNIT GOAL: The student will be able to identify the elements of both
inappropriate and appropriate traffic stops.
3.1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The student will be able to identify elements of a
racially motivated traffic stop.
A. Most race-based complaints come from vehicle stops, often since race is used as an
inappropriate substitute for drug courier profile elements
B. "DWB" – "Driving While Black" – a nickname for the public perception that a Black
person may be stopped solely because of their race (especially with the suspicion that
they are a drug
courier), often extended to other minority groups or activities as well ("Driving While
Brown," "Flying While Black," etc.)
C. A typical traffic stop resulting from racial profiling
1. The vehicle is stopped on the basis of a minor or contrived traffic violation which is
used as a pretext for closer inspection of the vehicle, driver, and passengers
2. The driver and passengers are questioned about things that do not relate to the traffic
violation
3. The driver and passengers are ordered out of the vehicle
4. The officers visually check all observable parts of the vehicle