Racial profiling is the discriminative practice done by the law enforcers. This is done by targeting some group of individuals for crime suspicion based on race, religion, ethnicity or even national origin (American Civil Liberties Union, 2016). As practiced, it is based on reliance on characteristics believed to be associated with crime. This paper will discuss racial profiling in juveniles.
According to Black Organizing Project with aid from ACLU, a study in Oakland in California shows that African-American boys are likely to be arrested than the boys of the other races (Pbs.org, 2016). They are arrested for petty crimes like drunkenness and gambling. Black boys made 73.5 percent of the total juvenile arrests done by the Oakland Police Department. This was on bases of arrests contacted between 2006 and 2012. Further reser5ch shows that 80 percent of
...the African American boys arrested were not prosecuted (Pbs.org, 2016).
In addition to the data, research done from schools in Oakland’s police and county’s probation shows similar results. In the last two years, the School Police Department arrested 85 students. Of the total, 73 percent were black (Pbs.org, 2016). This was so alarming since the black boys in the school made only 30 percent of the total population of the students.
In Alameda county, black youths are about six times arrested more than Hispanic boys and 23 times more than the white youths arrested and also referred to probation. Questionnaires used shows that students, especially the blacks were unhappy with police in the school and would prefer other methods used to keep the school safe.
In a case study in Vacaville, two Latino youths, both 21, were convicted of killing a friend
in 1997 (Pbs.org, 2016). It was claimed that the killing happened as they tried to rescue him from fight against white teens. A white youth confessed to stabbing the English but the County District Attorney allowed him plead to weapons charge. The Latino friends were then charged instead. The youth were then held in jail for 27 months waiting for appeal. In a new trial, jury overturned all the convictions. This evidently shows the racial bias in juvenile crime policies.
In a story in JJIE, a photographer sent by the New York Times records of the “stop and frisk” policy (The JJIE Magazine). In his record on the controversial policy on anti-crime policy by NYPD, he talks of black kids walking on a path to their friend’s house stopped and searched and also summoned. He too reports Hispanic teen that was handcuffed and searched through the pockets. Nothing was found in the pockets and no explanation was given by the police when asked why they had to go through the teens pockets. On questioning the black teens, they reported that they were forced to get used to been searched even when their white friends were not been searched. It had developed to ordinary thing according to them. If they refused the search, the teens reported that they had to go a night in the police cells, but if they agree with the search, at least they would be allowed to go home so they had no option (The JJIE Magazine).
It is therefore true on the basis of the researches and cases revealed that is true that racial profiling is a problem which has grown to be
rampart in the society and needs a quick solution. If not so, some races will continue to suffering in the hands of the discriminative police.
References
- The JJIE Magazine,. "The JJIE Magazine". N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jan. 2016.
- American Civil Liberties Union,. "Racial Profiling: Definition". N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jan. 2016.
- Pbs.org,. "From Both Sides Of The Bench - Is The System Race Biased? | Juvenile Justice | FRONTLINE | PBS". N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jan. 2016.
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