Ending racial profiling in our law enforcement practices is another one of my priorities.

Racial profiling is the practice of targeting individuals for police or security detention based on their race or ethnicity in the belief that certain minority groups are more likely to engage in unlawful behavior. The prevalence of the practice among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies has been highlighted by recent legal settlements and data collected by governmental agencies and private groups, suggesting that minorities are disproportionately the subject of routine traffic stops.

In recent history, a large majority of individuals subjected to law enforcement activities based on race, ethnicity, or national origin have been found to be law abiding citizens. Thousands have been arrested and, in some instances, prosecuted solely based on the color of their skin or ethnic background. Several courts have considered constitutional ramifications of the practice, as an “unreasonable search and seizure” under the Fourth Amendment, and more recently, as a denial of equal protection of the laws.

Simply put, racial profiling is not an effective means to uncover criminal activity. Even in its simplest of definitions, racial profiling does nothing less than leave its victims questioning a criminal justice system that, in theory, seeks to protect the innocent.

I will continue to fight against the injustices that plague our society and do everything in my power to end racial profiling. It is a disease that will continue to spread unless we actively seek to destroy it.