Racial profiling can be defined as using race and or ethnic background as the deciding factor for law enforcement to make a traffic stop or an arrest. Basically racial profiling is a discriminatory act that only uses race or ethnicity to make an arrest instead of the actions of an individual(s). There are several factors that play a role in the patrolling of neighborhoods and "social hangouts"," one of which is social classification. Lower class to middle class African American and Hispanic neighborhoods attract more "police " attention than does a predominantly white neighborhood. Statistically white neighborhoods are "safer " and less likely to have high patrols from the police and less arrests. Is racial profiling necessary to prevent crimes, or does it unfairly target a specific group of people based on their race and ethnic background? Because people of a certain race or culture tend to commit specific kinds of crimes at higher rates than other races, is it ok to monitor and suspect all people within that race or culture of committing the same or similar crimes? Racial profiling has been a controversial issue for a long time in this country. With actions like stop and frisk that will allow an officer to detain and search someone who looks suspicious, could be seen as racial profiling. However, the reason for targeting specific neighborhoods and high crime areas, has allot to do with trends and the likelihood of another crime happening within that area or by a certain race or ethnicity. .
How will America deal with this controversial issue without causing divide amongst its citizens but still protecting the innocent while putting the guilty away? Social classification or class can be a big determining factor in how law enforcement interacts with the community and is also a big factor in which neighborhoods and social hangouts receive higher patrols or a police presence. The social construction is uneven with, people of European descent being toward the top and people of African American and Latino descent being towards the bottom.
