Racial Profiling : Legal and Constitutional Issues / Jody Feder, Charles V. Dale.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Feder, Jody, author.

Dale, Charles V., author.

Series:

CRS report for Congress, RL31130.

CRS report for Congress, RL31130

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Racial profiling in law enforcement.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (11 pages).

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress, 2001.

Summary:

Racial profiling is the practice of targeting individuals for police or security detention based on their race or ethnicity in the belief that certain minority groups are more likely to engage in unlawful behavior. Examples of racial profiling by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are illustrated in legal settlements and data collected by governmental agencies and private groups, suggesting that minorities are disproportionately the subject of routine traffic stops and other security-related practices. The issue has periodically attracted congressional interest, particularly with regard to existing and proposed legislative safeguards. Several courts have considered the constitutional ramifications of the practice as an "unreasonable search and seizure" under the Fourth Amendment and, more recently, as a denial of the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection guarantee. A variety of federal and state statutes provide potential relief to individuals who claim that their rights are violated by race-based law enforcement practices and policies.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.