On Profiling
Profiling - a necessary evil?
Profiling is part of everyday life; we all do it but we call it by different
names. Profiling is another name for discrimination. It is only illegal if based
on race, creed, or ethnicity. Much like killing, which is also illegal except in
war, self-defense, and maybe if sanctioned by the government; profiling is legal
or illegal based on the criteria used. Profiling like killing must be acceptable
under certain circumstances. To deny its use is just as near-sighted as denying
killing in wartime on the battlefield. Profiling is a form of self-defense that
must be allowed. To handicap those responsible for protecting us is to pave the
way to our destruction. Yes, profiling must be tempered and protected from
fanatical excesses but it still must be allowed.
Profiling is necessary to simplify or reduce the number of choices for any
given situation. When buying a car, why look at Toyotas if you’re interested in
Fords? Why look at red sweaters if you only want a blue sweater? What! This isn’t
profiling only being selective. We must realize that profiling is a common tool
and understand its purpose, regardless of the definitions used.
Profiling is acceptable when done by individuals on inanimate objects but is
unacceptable when done by groups or organizations and applied to animate
objects. This is especially true if profiling is done by law enforcement or
governmental bodies.
Would it be considered profiling if a suspect is described as 5’6"
tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, light skinned, Caucasian, female. Probably not.
But if an officer only looks at those women matching that description, the
officer is using profiling to narrow the field in an attempt to catch the
suspect.
As I understand it, this type of profiling is not illegal because race,
creed, or ethnicity was not used to profile the suspect. But race was one of the
criteria used by the officer to narrow the search. The officer obviously did not
look at Blacks or American Indians males or females.
Profiling must be based on the best information available. Whether it be
Arabs, Jews, Caucasians, Blacks, or any other racial characteristic is not the
real question. The question is what is the most effective way to narrow the
search to the fewest and most probable persons in the least amount of time.
Profiling must be used because it is the most effective and efficient method. To
pretend it isn’t being done is foolish and unproductive.
If you suspect males in long coats of carrying weapons, it is stupid and
negligent to not stop and search any male wearing a long coat. If it can be
determined that males with long hair or certain facial features are more apt to
be carrying weapons, then they should be looked at more carefully than males
that do not fit this narrowed description or profile. This doesn’t mean males
not meeting the profile should be ignored only that more effort is directed in
the most probable area.
Of course, there is a downside to profiling - overconfidence. The greatest
danger in profiling is once the profile is known, those meeting that profile
will attempt to change their appearance.
While it is true that if profiling is not carefully used, it can infringe on
one’s civil rights and individual freedom, we must recognize that community
protection can inconvenience the individual. There must be protection for the
profiled but there must also be protection for those the profiled seek to harm.
Author: Don Miller
Posted: Aug. 2002
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