How Widespread Among the Police Is Racial Profiling?
In 1999, bills before Congress and 13 states would require police officers to collect data to see whether they are illegally using racial profiling in deciding whom to pull over and whom to search. Minorities argue that police pull over and search their cars simply because of the driver’s skin color. According to the NAACP, 72 percent of people pulled over in traffic stops nationwide are black, even though they represent only about 15 percent of the population. The practice of racial profiling by the police has become so common that black Americans call it “Driving while black.” Law enforcement groups oppose the legislation, saying it would be costly (estimated from $1million annually in California to $8 million annually in Florida) and could lead to lawsuits against the police. The International Association of Chiefs of Police claims that stopping motorists has become an effective tool for fighting crime, especially drug activities. A legislative counsel for the ACLU maintains that th
