The Evidence of Racial Profiling: Interpreting Documented and Unofficial Sources

This article summarizes the major cases that established the existence of racial profiling in the American public debate. The authors distinguish the widening split between the narrow, case-bound definition acknowledged by the police and the broader definition asserted by minority communities, which see the practice as widespread, affecting all areas of police-community contacts. The fact patterns of incidents substantiated on the public record set the stage for a discussion of the expected efficacy of the palliative measures nowbeing undertaken in the political domain.