Profiling in Law Enforcement

[Dispatcher1534]

I was just curious as to what everybody's opinions are on this practice. This is an extremely interesting topic (in my opinion, at least) that usually leads to a very informative and interesting discussion. So...jump right in...what are your thoughts on it...is it a valuable tool in law enforcement...or is it racism???

*~*~*~ I will post my thoughts once the ball gets rolling. Didn't want to start out posting my opinion b/c it would set the tone for the entire thread. Hope that makes sense to everyone... ~*~*~*

[tcsd1236]

If you mean the issue of racial profiling, its the biggest PC scam being run against LEO's at the moment.

[TRUEBLUE]

AS A COP YOU KNOW THE GOOD FRRROM THE BAD IS RAISE A HAIR ON YOUR NECK.....I AM THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

[Dispatcher1534]

okay...since no one seems to want to give their actual opinion on the practice, i will start...

the thing i don't understand is how people cannot understand the basis of profiling. just earlier this year we had a serial rapist around...approximately 6 feet 2 inches...170-180 pounds...black light-skinned male. whaddaya know, my officers were calling out with black males that fit the description as "suspicious subjects" left and right in the areas that appeared to be targeted. did they stop several innocent subjects??? you betcha!!! did they eventually catch the rapist??? damn straight!!! as a dispatcher who took that 1st call from the woman who had been raped by this bastard while her 10 month old baby was in the same room...a woman who didn't want to pick up that same baby as it cried b/c she had this bastard's bodily fluids on her hands...am i glad they "inconvenienced" those innocent people??? you're damn right i am!!!

okay...here's another example. every LEO here knows what a BOLO is, right??? for those of you who are not LEO or who may not use the same terminology, BOLO stands for Be On the Look Out...what people used to call an A.P.B. (all points bulletin). say we BOLO a stolen vehicle...a red ford mustang...officers start pulling the occassional red ford mustang...OH MY...NOW WE ARE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST RED FORD MUSTANG DRIVERS!!! we BOLO a missing juvenile...13 y/o white female blonde hair blue eyes...our officers start calling out with white female juveniles w/ blonde hair...OH NO...NOW WE'RE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST WHITE FEMALE JUVENILES!!!

a lot of people look at profiling and instantly think "oh, that's just another way for officers to pull me over just because i'm ____________ (insert race)". here's the thing...no matter what your race...if you seem to be "out of place" so to speak there is probably a reason for it...and it's going to raise the suspicion of an officer or two. at another board that i frequent we had a male subject who happened to be black...he was upset b/c he had been stopped and questioned by police at an ATM at 3 in the morning. he stated that when he asked the officers why he was being questioned they told him it was b/c he was wearing gloves. he was very upset about this. my opinion is, at least in the area i live in, no matter what your race, if you are standing near an ATM at 3 in the morning w/ gloves on, it is going to look suspicious (well, it's going to look VERY suspicious in Georgia b/c it rarely gets cold enough for gloves...*lol*)...and my point to him was that AS AN OFFICER he should understand why he was questioned...and if he was on the streets and let something as suspicious looking as THAT pass him by...then i certainly wouldn't want him patroling my area.

profiling is a valuable law enforcement tool when used correctly...and anybody who doesn't think so is uneducated on the issue of law enforcement as well as somewhat niave.
i am fully aware that many people do not agree with this process but the bottom line is, like it or not, profiling is a VERY effective tool in law enforcement...

[DesertRat]

What you are talking about is not profiling. It is simply stopping subjects that match a know suspect description. Profiling is a term used regardin self-initiated, pro-active police stops supposedly based on the race of the person stop. I'm not going to go into more now because I'm dead tired and we have beat this topic to death in the past.

[Webmaster]

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