POLICE FOUNDATION TO EXAMINE RACIAL PROFILING
BY KANSAS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

The State of Kansas has asked the Police Foundation to assess whether law enforcement agencies in that state engage in racial profiling. In announcing the study, Kansas Governor Bill Graves said, AWe must determine whether there is a problem with racial profiling, and, if so, to what extent. This study is a wise approach that should help State leaders make informed decisions."

The controversial police practice of racial profiling, that is, selectively stopping, questioning, and searching people on the basis of arbitrary minor offenses and the color of their skin is not new, but it has come under particular scrutiny in recent years. Though the existence of racial profiling is common knowledge, attempts to prove its existence have mainly relied on anecdotal accounts and piecemeal, though suggestive, evidence.

According to Police Foundation President Hubert Williams, Acollecting data on traffic and pedestrian stops, analyzing the data, and providing the results for public review can help shift the debate on racial profiling from anecdotal reports to valid statistical findings, and assist in the development of strategies to address racial profiling where it is practiced. By proactively addressing racial profiling practices, police communities can go a long way toward managing perception and strengthening police-community relationships."

The foundation's study will determine the following:

• if racial profiling is occurring in Kansas;
• which, if any, law enforcement agencies are doing racial profiling;
• where, if at all, racial profiling is most prevalent;
• what, if any, is the likelihood of a minority group member being stopped by police;
• if racial profiling is not occurring in Kansas, why the data suggest it is not occurring; and
• recommendations for further action if racial profiling is occurring.
  

Williams will be responsible for overall project direction. Project management will be shared by Dr. Karen Amendola, Chief Operating Officer of the foundation's Institute for Integrity, Leadership, and Professionalism in Policing, and Dr. John Lamberth, the noted social psychologist who developed the first methodology used in this country to determine the occurrence of racial profiling. Project completion is expected in Fall 2001.

The Police Foundation is a private, independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting innovation and improvement in policing through its research, technical assistance, and communications programs. Established in 1970, the foundation has conducted seminal research in police behavior, policy, and procedure, and works to transfer to local agencies the best new information about practices for dealing effectively with a range of important police operational and administrative concerns. Motivating all of the foundation's efforts is the goal of efficient, humane policing that operates within the framework of democratic principles and the highest ideals of the nation.

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