Rosalind Nelson wrote:
> At 12:20 PM 3/22/01 -0600, Michael Atherton wrote:
> >
> >First off, I think that we need to make clear the distinction between racial
> >profiling and CODEFOR. As far as I understand it racial profiling
> >involves the development of statistical profiles that are then used
> >to select individuals for investigation. In my opinion racial profiling is
> >a clear violation of individual rights. CODEFOR on the other hand
> >applies not to individuals, but to geographic areas selected for "enhanced"
> >policing. If I stated these concepts incorrectly please let me know.
>
> Racial profiling and CODEFOR seem to be so closely intertwined
> that it is hard to separate them. In the media, police and their defenders
> have used CODEFOR to defend data showing that blacks are stopped more often
> than whites. Katherine Kersten's February 28 Strib column is an example of
> this.
I'm not sure that I understand what the point is. I read the posts and the
article suggested and I stand by my statement that racial profiling
and CODEFOR are separate processes and it is important not to
confuse them. An individual officer's bias in selecting members of one
racial group for traffic stops is not racial profiling. Normally under the
law an individual must perform some behavior that gives a law enforcement
officer "justifiable cause" to question them. In true racial profiling a person
is not stopped because of their behavior, they are stopped because
they match a previously defined statistical model. The difference between
racial profiling and an individual officer biases is that one is officially approved
and the other is not. If there is documentation that shows that the MPD
ordered officers to stop blacks and asians I would be very interested in
seeing it (as would a number of civil rights lawyers).
> Take a look at Josh Kroll's post "Racial Profiling and Code4" from 3/20 and
> mine "Re: code 4" from 3/17. Some of us white folks who live or travel
> through CODEFOR-intensive neighborhoods
> and are honest enough to admit to the occassional equipment violation have
> some suspicion that CODEFOR is being administered on racial as well as
> geographic lines.
I don't think that you can draw valid conclusions from personal stories.
Statistical trends are often not clear from an individual's perspective. I
agree with Ms. Kersten.
Mike Atherton
Prospect Park
Ward 2
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