What is the difference between criminal profiling and bias-based profiling?
Criminal profiling is a legitimate tool in the fight against crime. It is an investigative method in which an Officer, through observation of activities and environment, identifies suspicious behavior by individuals and develops a legal basis, consistent with the Fourth Amendment, to detain and question. Bias-based profiling refers to a decision by an Officer to stop, detain, interdict, or search an individual based on race, color, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, or national origin. It is the policy of the Sunrise Police Department to prohibit bias-based profiling in all Police-initiated actions. These include all investigative detentions, field contacts, traffic contacts, arrests, searches, asset seizures and forfeiture efforts. An Officer’s actions will be based on a standard of reasonable suspicion or probable cause as required by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and statutory authority. Officers must be able to articulate specific facts, circumsta
