A Critical Analysis of Racial Profiling

This paper focuses on a critical examination of racial profiling. It includes the history of racial profiling and the laws and requirements that have been implemented to control and eliminate this practice, which utilizes race and ethnic background as indicators in the discretionary process of law enforcement. The purpose of this analysis is to learn if there are steps that police departments can take to eliminate, or at least minimize and control, this practice that plagues communities and departments across the country. This paper will include an exploration of the theoretical and empirical literature regarding the improvement of laws and police policies that can be implemented to prevent certain groups of people from future unnecessary law enforcement targeting. This paper will identify research trends in the literature and provide recommendations for areas of future scholarly inquiry.