End Racial Profiling Act Case Study

Dear Representative Johnson:
Regarding the End Racial Profiling Act of 2015 (HR1933), I would like to express and provide an explanation of my full support of the legislation. As you may be aware, the End Racial Profiling Act would prohibit federal, state, and local law enforcement officials from engaging in racial profiling and cease any previous procedures that may have indorsed these activities. The bill would issue a grant to state and local law enforcement agencies to provide better training to its pupils, which would ensure the elimination of racial profiling from policing and other regulations. The bill particularly appeals to me because it addresses the widespread problem that has effected many communities and the nation as a whole.
For instance, while in airports many people are cautious and weary if they see a Muslim because they automatically associate their religion with them being a terrorist. In addition, a black male walking down an inner-city neighborhood become targets for police because the color of his skin portrays him as a criminal. This issue directly affects our communities because people are becoming less likely to rely on the help of law enforcement and more crimes are beginning to take place in those areas. Also, people are becoming less likely to cooperate with law enforcement because they feel unsafe and have lost trust in police. Some people say racial profiling may benefit communities by catching potentially dangerous people, however, those people are sought to be criminals before even proven guilty. As a law enforcement official, it is unjust to assume that one individual may possibly commit a crime simply because the color of someone’s skin or religious
Racial Profiling results in a distrust and doubt in this nation’s justice system, it causes racial tensions between minorities and the majority race, and it extinguishes the relationship between police officers and civilians as a whole. I am primarily concerned because the trust in law enforcement is at an all time low. Racial profiling has caused many issues for this country and the End Racial Profiling Act of 2015 could help ease these problems. However, the bill is currently sitting in the Judiciary committee and is on the verge of dying. The ERPA was born into Congress in 2001. Each Congress presents the bill again, but the legislation dies in committee because the representatives do not report favorably on it. This Congress needs to be different from previous Congresses. I also noticed that you are the sponsor of a similar bill, the Police Accountability Act of 2015 (H.R. 1102), which you introduced earlier this year. Cosponsoring the ERPA as well as the bill you currently sponsor can lead to an increased chance of stopping law enforcements from committing unjust crimes and placing stereotypes based on unapparent qualities. The Gallup Poll states that 81 percent of America disapproves of using racial profiling or justify the actions of