Summary
What lies at the heart of the “racial profiling” debate is a lack of understanding of the police role. Police themselves bear part of the responsibility for this. Police contacts with the public are often conducted in a way that leaves even sympathetic members of the public puzzled. Accusations made in the name of “anti-racial profiling” advocacy have only intensified this fundamental problem in the quality of police-public interactions. The neologism “racial profiling” does not describe a new phenomenon. Allegations and findings of biased policing have a long history. Use of excessive force by police, whether as a consequence of bias or as a consequence of factors unrelated to bias or discrimination, is certainly not unknown either. In capturing media and public attention, the expression “racial profiling” has managed to pour old wine into new bottles and reinvigorated these issues.
Contents
The origins of "racial profiling". -- Profiling. -- Racial profiling in Canadian courts : inequality before the law. -- The consequences of racial profiling beliefs. -- Defining racial profiling. -- The evidentiary basis for racial profiling in Canada : evidence or perception. -- The Commission on Systemic Racism in the Ontario Criminal Justice System (1995). -- The Toronto articles "race and crime". -- The Kingston Police data collection project "bias-free policing". -- The Ontario and Quebec Human Rights Commission reports and private member's bill C-296 (38th Parliament - dissolved). -- The U.S. experience of racial profiling data collection. -- Fighting racial profiling. -- Racial profiling bibliography. -- Table of Authorities.