BIASED POLICING

Police Group Advises Officers To Address Profiling

Police across the country should embrace a law enforcement research group's
recommendations on racial profiling, even if most of them don't view the
practice as a problem in their own communities. The recommendations are
reasonable, fair and needed.

Last week, the Police Executive Research Forum, an association of
"progressive police executives," made nearly 50 recommendations in response
to charges that police unfairly target minorities, and chief among them is
better recruiting, training and supervising of officers.

In their report, the group chooses, in their own words, "to avoid the term
'racial profiling' and, instead, refer to 'racially biased policing.'"
Their reasoning: Racial profiling doesn't address all the concerns citizens
and police have about police treatment of minorities. In addition, racial
profiling has become a politically charged term that immediately puts
police on the defensive.

Those assessments are correct. Still, changing the label won't matter much
if the practice continues. Despite the results of the group's survey of
police attitudes about racial profiling, a majority of Americans now say
the practice exists. Indeed, the Police Executive Research Forum
acknowledged in their report the disconnect in police and public views.
"The majority of white, as well as black, Americans say that racial
profiling is widespread," the report says. "Law (enforcers) need to reflect
seriously on this and respond to the reality of, and perceptions of, biased
policing."

So, how do you do that? The group offers a six-point strategy. Mandate more
accountability and better supervision. Establish policies prohibiting
biased policing. Focus on better recruiting and hiring as well as better
education and training. Develop minority outreach tactics. Start collecting
data and analyze it.

The report emphasizes this edict, that police should consider "race and
ethnicity only when dealing with reliable descriptions of specific suspects
and never as the sole reason for suspicion."

Further, officers are urged to become more courteous when stopping people
and apologize if a mistake is made. One police department already does
this, to rave reviews from the public. Police officers are appreciating the
results - those stopped are much more cooperative and pleasant.

"Protecting individual rights is not an inconvenience for modern police, it
is the foundation of policing in a democratic society," says Chuck Wexler,
executive director of the research group.

He and others note in their report that racial profiling violates the
standards and values that ensure "a fair and dignified police response to
all." It is unacceptable and must stop, they say. They're correct.