Racial Profiling by Police

I’ve stopped tens of thousands of motorists during my 19-year police career, and I have a few perspectives on racial profiling (May 13). When I served minority residents within drug-infested neighborhoods during the ‘80s, I often stopped white drivers who appeared “out of place.” Residents and officers alike easily recognized these transient drug buyers, and our “racial profiling” was often incorporated accurately and constitutionally in our probable cause.

As a motorcycle officer who now serves in predominately white areas, I stop hundreds of traffic violators each month, of which 80% are non-minority. I conservatively estimate that a fifth of the blacks and Latinos I detain either accuse or imply that my stops stem from some racial agenda, regardless of their behavior or my sensitivity. In an attempt to alleviate these perceptions, I sometimes elect to release the person with a warning only. Some officers actually avoid reckless minority drivers to offset the likelihood of racial bias complaints.

As an L.A. resident, I would gladly endure the inconvenience of a traffic stop as an opportunity to meet officers and make them feel welcome in my neighborhood.

CLARK W. BAKER

Los Angeles