Racial Profiling in Policing: Addressing Community Concerns Through Proactive Strategies

Abstract

Prompt 3 The racial profiling exhibited in Dateline Episode: A Pattern of Suspicion is still worth the discussion today. The video is powerful and highlights a concern that drives a lot of the tension between the community and police departments. Even in an academic setting, it generates vivid discussion since students partaking in the criminal justice program are likely officers or someone interested in becoming an asset to law enforcement. It's easy to feel the tension between opposing parties. If a community is crime-ridden, yet the police want to improve the quality of life for law-abiding citizens, the police department should turn toward a community-oriented policing style. Community buy-in can make a difference in terms of policing.  Between 2014 and 2015, former President Barack Obama established a task force designed to improve relations between the community and police departments. With racial profiling being a major concern, Obama stressed the importance of law enforcement focusing on improving ties within the community. It was imperative to the president that police departments build positive relationships with the community, especially by implementing strategies that allow you to proactively tackle crime (COPS, 2015). Traditionally, officers respond to crime. This is a reactive approach versus the preferred proactive approach.  In a similar effort, the Ferguson Police Department (FPD) published a report in 2015 that addressed similar concerns toward community policing. In the video, I noticed that officers on patrol were able to exercise discretion, especially for stop-and-frisk operations. The FPD implemented a process that requires a supervisor's approval for citations that included more than two charges and other types of crimes that would lead to an arrest, such as resisting arrest and failure to obey (DOJ, 2015). Another impactful measure was that officers who decide to make questionable stops, like those in the video, would have...