RACIAL PROFILING

Based on national crime statistics for the last five years, has racial profiling contributed to an increase in successful arrest rates by police

Based on national crime statistics for the last five years, has racial profiling contributed to an increase in successful arrest rates by police

Brief Introduction
In Assignment 1 I discussed the practice of racial profiling. As defined by Amnesty International it is practice within which race can be used as a motivating factor in suspecting an individual (Amnesty international USA, 2010). While this evaluation study will be limited to issues of race profiling by law enforcement officials can occurs towards any ethnicity, nationality or religion.

African Americans are the primary target of this practice in the United States, they are stopped and searched more than any other ethnicity even though such practices infringe on their rights (Cole, 1999, 75). Though this was primarily done to stop crime the police have realized that such practices are ineffective and its presence today is merely the result of corrupting influences rather than policy (Cloud, S.,  Dale, 2001).

These policies changes were made as a result of studies in the 90s focused on whether or not such practices had any advantageous or detrimental effects (Data collection resource center, 2008). The aspect of the intervention that I intend to evaluate is whether or not the elimination of racial profiling has had the desired effect on certain population samples. Research questions will be stated as well as the most likely hypothesis which will arise from them. Further evaluation data will be provided which will be tailored to support this hypothesis and bring this study to its logical conclusion. 

2. Research questionsa) Have policy changes against racial profiling improved the outlook of law enforcement agencies

b) Do individuals feel safer knowing that law enforcement agencies no longer profile suspects
I hypothesize that the answers to both questions based on the population samples selected will offer a negative viewpoint to both questions. If African Americans are asked question (a) they will, given the information in the literature review answer in the negative, and if both groups are asked about question (b), experiences with 911 will cause them to respond in the negative as well, while Caucasians may provide either a positive or negative response to question (a). 

3. Evaluation site andor the subjects you will studyLocation of the evaluation site will be Times Square in New York City. The area is considered to be the central hub of market activity within the city, therefore, it is far more likely to encounter the population sample there and conduct the evaluation within a short time period. The subjects chosen are over 18 years of age and have at least a basic understanding of the concept of racial profiling. Of the basic concept of racial profiling is not known, a brief explanation can be given by the interviewer present. 

4. Evaluation design
The evaluation design will be created around the concept of a cross-sectional study. A cross sectional study is one in which two different sub sets of the same population can be surveyed to determine the outcome of interest. A survey questionnaire will be designed in order to ascertain whether the research hypothesis is conclusive. In order to facilitate the research the questionnaire will be divided into three portions focusing on biographic, demographic and research oriented questions. The survey questionnaire will serve as a primary source and the literature review will provide a secondary source. There will be a pre-test proposed in regards to the research questionnaire, which will allow the survey to focus on American citizens who have been living in the United States for the past 15 years. In order to attain pretest conditions biographic and demographic data will be employed and individuals who do not meet the criteria will be excluded. The objective of the survey will ask the research questions and attempt to elicit a direct answer on the part of the respondent. Each population sample chosen will have their results considered separately rather than as a whole. Due to the inherently limited nature of the study chosen, this process will be repeated several times over until valid statistical data can be extracted and a conclusive result can be reached. The study will begin by formulating the survey questionnaire focusing primarily on the sections mentioned above. This design is relatively inexpensive and due to the location chosen will take significantly less time to conduct. Risk factors and limitations are minimized due to limited and direct research questions and any follow up to this research does not invalidate the data already collected. Following the research a post-test will be conducted where secondary research sources will be employed and compared to the findings in order to conclude whether their viability is suspect. Secondary research sources may be compiled before or after the primary survey has been conducted and data relevant to the research questionnaire may be explored in the form of a hypothesis before being compared to the primary data collected. 

5. Population and sampleThe population sample will consist of individuals from two ethnicities. One hundred Caucasian individuals and one hundred African American individuals will be asked to take part in the study. The two samples selected in the area in question will provide the basis for random selection which will make them highly representative of their ethnicities. Two problems may occur however, one is non-response and the other give consideration to bias on the part of the participants. The problem of bias is inherent due to cultural and social differences between the two ethnicities. 

6. Variables and Data Collection methodsThe method of data collection as mentioned before will be in the form of a primary survey. The dependent and independent variables in this case include bias on the part of the respondent, on the part of the interviewer, geographical, monetary and time constraints. The sampling size also lends itself to sampling error due to its relatively large size. Additionally, it must be taken into account that the bias of the author of the report itself may affect the subjectivity of the study.

The interviewer taking the survey may show bias in his explanation of the concept of racial profiling. Approaching individuals on the street also lend themselves to be open to external factors which may cause them to change their answer. Such factors are not in the control of this study. It must also be taken into account that though the limited, direct research questions lend themselves to accuracy, the factors behind an individuals opinion cannot be discerned due to the inherently variable nature of such an undertaking. 

The pre-test conditions allows for a greater chance for picking out representatives of either ethnicities. Given the amount of tourism in New York City the exclusion of all foreigners in this study is warranted as well. However, though this methodology offers a larger population sample, the experiences of individuals living in different counties may account for different viewpoints on their part. Additionally, the conditions of the post-test leaves this research study open to all the limitations which plagued other similar studies chosen for the literature review, such limitations cannot be ignored or minimized in any shape or fashion. 

The relative inexpensive nature of the study, as well as loss of time constraints lends itself well to the questionnaire. Another thing that must be taken into account is the snapshot in time effect, essentially meaning that this study merely offers the opinion of a group of people at a particular point in time. The study itself can put the researcher at a disadvantage since casual conclusions cannot be made on the basis of each respondent, only tabulation of the data can provide such answers. This problem may cause the researcher to disprove the given hypothesis altogether without even realizing it (Babbie, 2009). 

7. Brief conclusion
In conclusion I believe that cross sectional studies will show that policy changes by police departments towards racial profiling have not changed their outlook in society in regards to certain ethnicities. Nor has the fear or the reasoning behind their initiation changed to a substantial level and affected public opinion. Though the practice itself is wrong and infringes on a persons rights, the general public may see its application as a proper means to an end. 

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