Racial Profiling by Police Essays - 929 Words

The Fourth Amendment protects the right of people to be secure in their persons, ‘ houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures†¦ (108). Under the Fourth Amendment the legal constraints placed on police and the rules they must follow for â€Å"Stop and Frisk† happened as a result of the â€Å"Terry v. Ohio â€Å"case (162). The constraints are that the police cannot stopped and frisk people without reasonable suspicion probable cause or a warrant. Before 1968 the police could search a suspect only if they had probable cause. After the Terry case the police may conduct a frisk search of a suspect’s outer clothing only if there was reasonable suspicion. The U.S. Supreme Court definition of â€Å"Frisk† is: a patting down of the†¦show more content†¦In court the suspect argued that the officer had no probable cause to search him thus the search was illegal and the gun should not be admitted as evidence. Although the court agreed that the officer did not have probable cause, the gun possession was upheld because the court found that the experienced officer observation was reasonable to fear that the suspects were armed. The court found that the frisk was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. The exclusionary rule holds that illegally seized evidence must be excluded from trials. Searches conducted without probable cause (or without a warrant where one is required) are illegal (165). In the case of â€Å"Mapp v Ohio† (Albanese164), three officers illegally search Mapp’s home and arrested her for obscene materials. She was found guilty and the Supreme Court overturns the conviction because her fourth amendment right was violated when the officers entered her home without a warrant. The court cited that the search was without probable cause or a warrant when one was needed. Because they had no warrant the items found was seized illegally and the exclusionary rule applied. As such the items seized may not be presented as evidence against Mapp. Mapp’s conviction was overturned on the ground that searching her residence violated her Fourth Amendment Right. The officers entered her home without probable cause and without a warrant therefore all items seized was illegal. In 2000 the case ofShow MoreRelatedRacial Profiling by Police Essay1259 Words   |  6 Pages    There are many types of racism in America that cause people to make accusations against law enforcement for discrimination. One type of racism is racial profiling. It is a strategy that encourages police officers to stop and question minorities only because of their race. It takes place in a variety of routine police encounters. Unmotivated searches occur everyday among the minority groups. Could you imagine waking up and being scared to walk outside your house because of the color ofRead More Racial Profiling by Police Essay1502 Words   |  7 Pagesof our lives, including media, culture, and even the legal system. The police are there to protect and serve the community. Racial profiling has prevented police from serving all the community, because in their minds it has been segregated. This has often been disregarded while in reality, racial profiling has corrupted society’s perception of groups of people, especially in law enforcement. On our nations highways, police ostensibly looking for thugs and criminals routinely stop drivers basedRead MorePolice Brutality And Racial Profiling1343 Words   |  6 PagesThe use of police brutality and racial profiling is an unfortunate part of today’s society that needs to be addressed. Blacks are being stopped and searched by police officers in greater numbers compared to other races, and sometimes these situations escalate into violence. In the essay Blue On Black Violence: Freddie Gray, Baltimore, South Africa, the Quietism of Africana Christian Theology, author Darryl Scriven, a Philosophy professor at Florida AM University, reports th at, â€Å"CNN reported thatRead MoreRacial Profiling by Police Essay1669 Words   |  7 PagesParanoids Turn Out to be Right,† acknowledges the issues of racism and racial profiling committed by police. In â€Å"Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun,† Geoffrey Canada also expresses views on this issue when he asserts that police fail to protect and serve individuals in poor neighborhoods. Staples contends, â€Å"Among the day-to-day acts of discrimination that shadow African Americans, none are more stressful or dangerous than those committed by police, some of whom treat black people as criminals until proved otherwiseRead MoreRacial Profiling And The Police Force875 Words   |  4 Pagesthis nation we should fight for change in the police force, attempt to cease the embodiment of racial profiling, and support the efforts of those striving to bring about change. Many people might argue that the lack of training in the police force is more harmful to the officers than the effect it has on society. Leslie Pfeiffer mentions in her article â€Å"† that the Federal government devotes a shocking amount of money toward training, yet local police agencies are often left to fend for themselves†Read MoreEssay on Racial Profiling by Police1228 Words   |  5 Pages Racial profiling has become a severe obstacle in the U.S. today though most Americans know very little of this vital issue. Every day, people are being pulled over, harassed, and even killed for being of a certain race. There are new laws that politicians are trying to pass that promote racial discrimination. Racial profiling is immoral and does not increase public safety. Incarceration rates are a definite proof that racial discrimination occurs. â€Å"Incarceration rates in the United StatesRead MorePolice and Racial Profiling Essay2724 Words   |  11 Pages Can we stop the unjust practice of racial profiling? Is it correct for Police Officers to stop a black driver for an alleged traffic offense to question and sometimes search the black driver? These questions provoke the need to understand racial profiling and racism along with what problems are involved and the possible solutions. Doesnt the use of race make sense? Isnt it really just good police work? The guarantee to all persons of equal protection under the law is one of the most fundamentalRead MorePolice Brutality And Racial Profiling1902 Words   |  8 PagesPolice brutality refers to the intentional utilization of vituperations or extortionate force directed towards a country s citizens by the police force. This extortionate force may be physical or in form of psychologic al dauntingness. Police brutality is highly evident in many countries all over the world especially in the news where such cases are reported. It is optically discerned as a form of police malfeasance which involves sexual abuse, police corruption, erroneous apprehends, racial profilingRead MoreRacial Profiling And The Police Force1951 Words   |  8 PagesIn modern day society, the police force is meant to safeguard the lives of those they serve, to eliminate crime, to ensure public safety, and to do so in an honorable fashion. They are meant to be respected and trusted by those they potentially protect. Children often looked at them as modern day superheroes. At some point however, something changed and the neighborhood hero transformed into the villain. What happens when the ones people reach out to in a time of distress become the ones causingRead MorePolice Brutality And Racial Profiling Essay2484 Words   |  10 PagesPolice Brutality and Racial Profiling Police Brutality is defined as the use of excessive force by police officers when they encounter civilians. Police officers are defined as people who are responsible for the prevention of crime. Brutality is defined as, â€Å"savage, physical violence.† Police brutality has been alive and well for many years, but a majority of the cases had been recently. Dating back to the times of the Civil Rights Movement and even before, minorities have been treated with little