Profiling Is a Necessary Tool to Fight Crime

Since Sept. 11, racial profiling in the United States has taken on new dimensions. As our government tries to search out and bring to justice those responsible for the tragedies, many Americans wonder if the government isn’t overextending its legal bounds. In our search for the enemy, are we going too far? Are we sacrificing our sacred and hard-fought-for civil liberties for a few evil men?

Fifty years ago, in certain parts of this country an African American man could be arrested, prosecuted and convicted of a crime for which he was innocent.

Many times it was a simple solution: A scapegoat was needed and who was more “qualified” than a black man? In those days, African Americans were harassed, arrested and falsely accused of crimes without a shred of evidence. There was no limit to how long a black person could be held in custody without charges being filed. Justice was a mockery.

In that era, to have contended that an African American’s rights were violated would have been misleading; a black man in America had no rights.

In the pre-civil rights era, African Americans were abused by the police and the justice system solely on the basis of race.

Many were harassed out of hatred, some for sport, others because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many times, there wasn’t even an actual crime committed. During some of these judicial proceedings, there wasn’t any genuine search for truth and justice; the aim was to harass, abuse and humiliate a race of people because it was acceptable to do so.

Consequently, it is no great surprise that after the civil rights era, racial profiling became a legitimate concern, especially among minorities.

Civil rights attorneys and social activists waged extensive battles with the judicial system to assure that blacks and other minorities who were arrested were afforded the same due process as everyone else.

Arresting and interrogating individuals solely because of their race was no longer acceptable.

I recall this history to show that it is not a mystery why so many people in the United States are opposed to racial profiling.

Unfortunately, this history has negatively impacted what is otherwise an excellent investigative tool for capturing those who have broken the law. Profiling is a necessary component in any worthwhile criminal investigation. The more information the authorities have on a criminal, the greater the likelihood of capture. Is the suspect young or old? Are the authorities looking for a male or female? Short or tall? Are there any outstanding physical characteristics? Any tattoos?

If all of this is vital and necessary information, why would one exclude race and skin color, if these are known?

Like it or not, race is a necessary component in the overall profile in any criminal investigation. If a pink elephant took peanuts from the peanut jar, I should look for a pink elephant. In my search, I just may confront a few innocent pink elephants before I find the culprit. However, the color of the elephant is vital information to my investigation.

In any criminal investigation, the concern should not be whether individuals fit a certain profile. It should be: Are these individuals being randomly and indiscriminately arrested exclusively based on their race--race being the only factor. The latter is racism. There is a difference.

By screaming racism at every turn, we are only assisting the criminals and hindering law enforcement.

Like everyone else, I love and appreciate our civil liberties. And as a minority, I abhor police injustices to any race of people. However, I don’t want to tie the hands of those who make it possible for me to enjoy those liberties.

Our government is in the process of attempting to track down those responsible for the Sept. 11 tragedy.

There are some who would love to hinder this investigation by throwing in as many roadblocks as possible.

There are others whose only agenda is race and they see racism under every rock. Let’s allow the U.S. attorney general and other law enforcement personnel to do the job we pay them to do.