Only the most extreme of left-wing wack jobs have a problem with "racial profiling". If someone robs a convenience store and is described as a white male in his late teens to early twenties, with blond hair and blue eyes...should the cops be pulling over blacks and Asians just to keep it "fair"? More BS from the loons on the left.

No problem whatsoever. Being active in a local civil liberties organization, I often apply it. Of course, here we have more hippie profiling than racial profiling. But I actually believe firmly that it's bad law enforcement practice, leading to very few arrests. If I was dealing drugs, I'd send a decoy black driver ahead of me so that he gets pulled over instead of me. I'm sure it's been done.

This might have had a small sense of legitimacy when it was first used, but it has gotten to the point of being stupid. I think it was Carlos Mencia that said if one of these people who was against racial profiling was mugged by a Mexican, what are the chances they would say, It was just a person when they are asked to describe who did it? Racial profiling has been turned into a racist thing by stupid people, and some of us are getting tired of the stupid people running the show for the rest of us.

Yes, it's true that a terrorist or someone looking to break the law is likely to blend in but if you're a police officer instructed to guard a civil rights rally, I doubt that a skin head is going to blend in so much that he looks like the president of the NAACP. Common sense and experince can help prevent racial profiling from becoming a dirty word.

We had the ridiculous notion here recently that the police were not allowed to racially profile Asian or Middle Eastern looking people for stop and search after the London bombs because it was racially discriminating . Er, excuse me?! What are they gonna look for...an old English woman? What nonsense! Yes, I say again, if people want to live in a different culture and country you abide by that country's rules. It also means that if your group (Muslims) are perpetrating acts against said country, then you will have to expect some irritation on being checked on, even if you are innocent. And if you are innocent, you should have nothing to worry about except for the inconvenience. If it can be done with good grace, this helps us all. Remember, the people who died on the buses were also innocent. The police have a hard enough time without these 'claims against harassment'. Those communities who seem to be constantly 'picked on' should clean up their own backyard before condemning the profiling.

The sad truth is that Racial Profiling is often accurate. If you see a bunch of Black youths in baggy jerseys and bandannas walking around a white neighbourhood, you should be suspicious. Similarily, if you saw a bunch of white kids in leather jackets with buzzcuts walking in a black neighbourhood, you should also be suspicious. In terms of terrorists, the truth is that most are Middle Eastern, and when looking for suspects racial profiling is, in fact useful.

I gotta hand it to whoever came up with the term racial profiling as a fancy way to say picking on a specific group. But, to get to the question itself. No' I'm not OK with law enforcement having to constantly defend themselves retroactively when they arrest someone who breaks the law. As far as I am concerned, the people or organizations who are always screaming about the cops engaging in racial profiling are themselves in effect engaging in profiling, i.e., Cops are doing bad things because they are cops. It does bother me when the police overreact to some situations, but to deny that certain groups, on a percentage basis, are more apt to commit certain types of crimes than other groups, is not realistic. It seems to me that almost everyone would accept (largely based on stereotype, but almost undoubtedly backed up by facts, figures, percentages, etc.) that back in the 1920s most big-time gangsters were ethnic Italians (sure, there were a few Irish and Jeswish mobsters too, but the big guns were almost exclusively Italian). So, was it racial (or ethnic) profiling to go after Italians in those days? Wouldn't it have been more than a bit stupid not to have homed in on Italians? Or should the cops have shaken down Poles and Hungarians just to make things look good? Get real, people.

I think racial profiling should definately be discouraged. Look, a REAL criminal or terrorist is much more likely to blend in by looking like a conservative,tie and suit wearing yuppie,anyway.Who pulls over a Lexus or Mercedes? Maybe they should profile THAT for awhile!

It sort of falls under the same category where if a white person sees and acknowleges that a black is a black person, then that white person is racial for noticing this. (like it's not obvious)

it happens all too much and i think they should not only be monitored there should be some action to correct it. an elderly hispanic man was shot to death when police officers at night decided to serve a warrant on a neighbor of this elderly man but failed to protect him and his family by letting them know to stay in their homes. the old man seen unmarked cars in front of his house and people walking around his yard. he steps out to find out what is going on and is shot to death by a police officer who thought the man made a wrong movement and then the officer is cleared and it was ruled justifiable despite the family and many of the neighbors cries to the contrary. this is one of many police shootings that have happened over the last few years or so. most have seemed justifiable all have been deemed justifiable but there are a few that make you wonder if you have as much to fear from the police as you do the criminals. one was a young man who got stuck here in slc with his sister shortly after 9-11. the two were waiting for a flight out and nerves were wearing thin. they had rented a car and were driving in the downtown area of slc when they began to argue. police witnessed them argueing and pulled them over. ordered the passenger out which was the sister when the driver made a nonaggressive move according to many witnesses and was shot to death. he never got to go home and it was deemed justifiable.i think police officers need to be trained more in social skills and more interactive.

I get mad every time I hear or read about it in the local news. I can just see all the folks at the NAACP and LULAC frothing at the mouth every time its mentioned. Im the kind of guy who calls a spade a spade. Any one who isn't aware that most crimes in urban areas are comitted by Minorities is just in deep denial. It doesnt mean that they as a group are the bad people but the numbers do not lie. If our local law men are using data to do their jobs, and they should be, then all the special interest groups need to just shut up and get a life.

Depends on too many factors for a simple answer. Profiling can be a good tool, but can also be misued by an over-zealous and inexperienced law enforcement officer. . .I've met more than my share of those.