DEALING WITH RACIAL PROFILING

The issue of ``racial profiling'' has become such a hot national
topic that there are bills pending in both houses of Congress.

The Senate version defines it as ``the practice of a law enforcement
agent relying, to any degree, on race, ethnicity, or national origin
in selecting which individuals to subject to routine investigatory
activities,'' such as traffic and pedestrian stops.

On the local level the other day, the Hillsborough County Public
Defender's Office accused the Tampa Police Department of targeting
minorities in its drug wiretap cases during the past three years.
Assistant Public Defender Mike Connell feels there is a pattern of
racial profiling against blacks and Hispanics in drug investigations
and has asked to see the records of the Hillsborough County State
Attorney's Office regarding these cases.

For starters, there has to be probable cause to get a wiretap,
regardless of the race, ethnicity or nationality of the suspect. Any
judge who approves such an undertaking should be demanding more than
a simple hunch by police officers. In many cases it involves the
testimony of informants, who are necessary evils in the war against
drug trafficking.

Also, eliminating whites as suspects in drug sales or trafficking
would be very bad police work, to say the least. The TPD would have
nothing to gain by limiting their suspect list to minorities.

Still, the issue raised by the public defender needs to be addressed.
Earlier this year Tampa Police Chief Bennie Holder implemented a
policy that prohibits his officers from targeting people because of
their race or ethnicity. The public, particularly minorities, needs
to be assured that such practices are not taking place.

Doing so in this case is complicated, however, because wiretap
records are sealed by law in order to protect the identities of
informants and the covert nature of undercover police operations.
Also, as you know, it's hard to disprove a negative.

Regardless, all parties involved - law enforcement, prosecutors and
judges - should take the necessary steps to ensure that people are
not selected for wiretaps or any other form of surveillance simply
because of their race or ethnicity. After all, such profiling is not
only against policy, it is also an ineffective way to fight crime.