You are a victimologist that recently completed a nationally recognized research project on the negative effects of being a victim of racial profiling. The state in which you reside, has recently become the center of national news for an incident involving racial profiling by the local police department.
While patrolling the local mall police officers singled out a group of minority teenagers. During the engagement the police officers got physical with the teens and called them derogatory names. The entire incident was caught on camera. The video was leaked on social media, and it went viral. Now there is public outrage and a split in the community with regards to what should be done with the officers. Some people are calling for the suspension and/or the arrest of the police officers, while others are standing in solidarity with the police officers and are cheering them on. Meanwhile, the impact of the incident on the victims are being minimized and overlooked. Because this incident involves teenagers, the city’s largest population subset, the city manager is concerned about the long-term effects this incident can have on the relationship between the community and law enforcement.
The City Manager has asked that you come and educate both the community and law enforcement on the long-term effects of racial profiling and asked that you recommend ways to improve the relationship between the community and law enforcement following the incident.
Focus your evaluation on the following:
- Explain how you would help the community to understand what racial profiling entails.
- Assess the impact that the community would have felt if the racial profiling successfully became a part of law enforcement routine. Determine how this might have impacted the economic base of the local community.
- Identify who the potential victims are in the community. Consider not only the teenagers but also those members of the community in which racial profiling would target. How does racial profiling threaten to destabilize the economic sector of the community?
- Explain to law enforcement the impact that racial profiling has had on the community and some of the risk factors that they will face if the racial profiling persists.
