In regards to the traffic stop scenario, the traffic officer is indeed guilty of racial profiling. According to Briggs (381), most “foreigners” are more likely to be stopped and at times arrested, rather than be warned or allowed to go. Thus, in this case, there was no legitimate reason for the man to be stopped. Moreover, despite the traffic officer realizing the man was also a police officer, he did not apologize for the mistake. Instead, the traffic officer gave a silly reason for pulling the man over, a move that shows the traffic officer only stopped the man because he had other motives.
Sincerely, the traffic officer was not honest about the reason for stopping the man. Traffic stops are meant to bring safety on the roads by pulling over and punishing those who break traffic rules. It is unclear how having three antennas at the back of the car can cause danger to other motorists. The traffic officer had no valid reason for stopping the man, so he just enforced a minor offense to mask his true intentions.
Of course, the complaint can be dismissed on many grounds including on the ground that the person does not understand the work of a police officer. According to case reports at the Supreme Court, police officers can use traffic stops to conduct searches for criminals and drug dealers (Woods and Candidate). Police departments use this discretion in a racist way and believe they are doing good by “catching” criminals and stopping crime. As such, a complaint on racial profiling can be dismissed as police work on the lookout for criminals and the safety of all citizens.
Works Cited
Briggs, Christian. "The Reasonableness of a Race-Based Suspicion: The Fourth Amendment and the Costs and Benefits of Racial Profiling in Immigration Enforcement." S. Cal. L. Rev. 88 (2014): 379.
Woods, Erin E., and Jun D. Candidate. "Moritz College of Law | Driving While Black: Racial Profiling and Traffic Stops." Moritz College of LawMoritz College of Law - Home, 2015, moritzlaw.osu.edu/students/groups/osjcl/amici-blog/driving-while-black-racial-profiling-and-traffic-stops/.
