/guid/9202a8c04000641f8000000000034007 rename

Racial profiling is the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a...

Racial profiling is the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or an illegal act or to behave in a "predictable" manner. It is often confused with the more comprehensive Offender Profiling and has been perceived to be directed most often toward non white individuals. Although this practice has been common for centuries, the practice became particularly controversial toward the end of the 20th century in the United States,as the potential for abuse by law enforcement came to light. Some civil rights advocates are against the use of racial profiling tactics by the police. Motor vehicle searches are a possible application of racial profiling. In the United States, police officers target not race but certain characteristics that are only correlated with race. This is also related to the hypothesis that police officers have no racial preferences and only maximize the probability of a successful search. If black motorists are more likely to carry contraband or illegal drugs, racial profiling may lead to a higher probability of successful searches. At least for the state of Maryland data