Profiling Ethics

As I was driving down the 280 freeway one day, I noticed a car driving down along side me. The exterior of this car was highly modified with big rims, a fancy paint job, aftermarket body kit, and a noticeably loud exhaust. It was your typical "rice rocket" found quite commonly in the area. The thing I noticed next was a California Highway Patrol car pull directly next to the car. Both cars cruised along for a bit, as the officer driving the patrol car stared down the driver. The next thing you know it, the red and blue lights are flashing and the siren blares as the driver behind the wheel of the import car was instructed to pull over.

To the best of my knowledge, I could not see a reason why the car was pulled over, other than "driving while Asian." This is a phenomenon that has come to pass over the years with the growth of import car culture. Because modified cars are linked to street racing, drivers of these modified cars are subject to higher amounts of traffic stops and ticketed for by police. The end result of most of these stops is a fix it ticket for minor vehicle code infractions, such as modified exhaust or tinted windows. However, these stops can also end up in cars being impounded and ticketing resulting in heavy fines.

This is an example of police using a technique called profiling. Over the past few decades, law enforcement has relied more and more frequently on the practice of profiling to help identify criminal perpetrators. Whether it be through experience or through training, officers will develop criteria to identify potential criminals. Upon analysis of multiple crimes in which the unknown perpetrators have similar characteristics we can develop a predictive description of the characteristics of the probable perpetrator. These characteristics typically include variables such as age, sex, race, and intelligence, among others. The use of profiling is not limited to simple traffic stops either. It applies to theft, drug, and even murder cases.

A profile is a predictive device. Fortunately, sometimes predictions are right. Unfortunately, sometimes predictions are wrong. Now there lie ethical dilemmas towards using such techniques. Is it ethical to prejudge people based on appearances? According to the justice system, we are innocent till proven guilty, but then is it right to assume guilt before it is proven? When does profiling become racism, or classism?