Racial Profiling in Arlington

Racial Profiling in Arlington

A Problem within Arlington Affecting the Criminal Justice System

Racial inequality is a major problem in Arlington, Texas. According to Irwin et al. (2021), the levels of economic and health well-being in Arlington County are high, but people of colour experience disparities compared to Whites. People of colour also have lower incomes, a high rate of chronic illness, low life expectancy, and increased college dropout rates. Racial inequality in Arlington has been linked to racial profiling in the criminal justice system. Zack (2016) defines racial profiling as a crime detection and prevention method used by law enforcement officers which considers racial identity when determining whether to investigate a person for a specific crime. The Arlington police department has been accused of racial profiling, leading to a loss of trust in the department and reduced public participation in law enforcement.

The Population Affected By Racial Inequality in Arlington

Although racial inequality affects all people of colour in Arlington County, African Americans are the main population affected by racial profiling. A statement issued by the Arlington County Planning Commission acknowledged the prevalence of racial profiling of African Americans following incidents of police brutality linked to the murders of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbey. The commission stated that the killings were caused by the rise of intentional legal and social policies that have been disadvantaging and dehumanizing African Americans in the country. The commission also acknowledged the existence of racial injustice that targets African Americans in Arlington.

How Racial Inequality Creates Needs within Arlington

Racial profiling creates security needs among African Americans because they fear being wrongfully accused of a crime. The low incomes among African Americans make it hard for them to afford legal representation. This increases the number of African Americans in prison for crimes they did not commit. The racial profiling problem also creates the need to increase accountability and integrity among police officers and eliminate prejudices that could limit the effectiveness of law enforcement officers in preventing crime in society. African Americans also need protection against police brutality, often linked to racial profiling. In some instances, African Americans may resist arrest if they have not committed a crime, especially when the arresting officer is White due to the racial profiling problem. Such incidents prompt police officers to use force to make the suspect surrender and may, in some cases, use excessive force leading to police brutality claims.

Evidence of the Existence of the Identified Problem

Racial profiling is evident in the Arlington police departments following lawsuits filed by African Americans who were racially profiled during an arrest. For example. The Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a lawsuit on behalf of a 20-year-old African American, Donovan Johnson, stating that an Arlington police officer racially profiled him during an arrest (Aitken, 2022). The police officer was accused of jamming his fingers into Donovan’s mouth to silence him during the arrest. In another case, an Arlington police officer was accused of racially profiling Marlon Crutchfield for taking pictures of a home that was on sale (Lambert, 2020). Although Marlon was not charged with any crime, he claimed the officer questioned him for taking pictures because he was African American.

Funding Source and How It Aligns with Racial Inequality

Human rights activists and non-profit organizations are the appropriate funding options for efforts to address the problem. The source aligns with the problem because racial profiling leads to the violation of human rights. For example, racial profiling may limit a person’s right to privacy, liberty, life, and security. Racial profiling also limits minority groups’ protection against arbitrary arrest and freedom of movement, prompting human rights activists and non-profit organizations to take action to fight for equal rights and the safety of African Americans.

Potential Collaborator

The Arlington police chief is a potential collaborator who would benefit from addressing racial profiling and may assist in compiling and presenting a grant proposal. The police commissioner has expressed willingness to fight racial profiling in the county’s police department by encouraging empathetic and professional policing.

References

Aitken, M. (2022). Civil rights lawsuit filed against Arlington police over alleged racial profiling incident. Boston.com. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/08/03/civil-rights-lawsuit-filed-against-arlington-police-over-alleged-racial-profiling-incident/

Irwin, M., Amanuel, Y., Bickers, B., Nguyen, M. A., & Russell, O. W. (2021). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Preexisting racial and ethnic disparities, and results of an integrated safety net response in Arlington County, Virginia. Health Security, 19(S1), S-62-S-71. https://doi.org/10.1089/hs.2021.0041

Lambert, E. (2020). Northern Virginia man says Arlington police racially profiled him. FOX 5 DC. https://www.fox5dc.com/news/northern-virginia-man-says-arlington-police-racially-profiled-him

Zack, N. (2016). White privilege and Black rights: The injustice of U.S. police racial profiling and homicide. Palimpsest: A Journal on Women, Gender, and the Black International, 5(1), 105-105. https://doi.org/10.1353/pal.2016.0013

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Write a 500-word paper in which you do the following:

Describe a problem within your community that affects your criminal justice system.
Identify the population that is affected by the problem.

Racial Profiling in Arlington

Explain how the problem creates needs within your community.
Research and include at least 1 outside research resource supporting the existence of the identified problem (e.g., statistical data, newspaper articles, local government board minutes).
Select a funding source from the options that you’ve identified in your research or in this week’s discussion with your peers, and explain how the funding source aligns with your problem.
Identify 1 potential collaborator who would benefit from addressing this problem and may help you compile and present a grant proposal.