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Racial profiling is a longstanding and deeply troubling national problem many innocent people have become subjected to. It’s when law enforcement and security target people of color in often humiliating, frightening, and inhumane circumstances without any evidence of crime. Not only is it severely damaging to its victims, alienating to communities, and inherently ineffective, it’s also patently illegal.

But despite all the claims that the US now lives in a “post-racial era,” the real-life stories from people of color tell a very different story. So when William Kimeria, a software engineer from San Francisco, asked “Black people, answer this with the most ridiculous reason you have been stopped by police,” on his Twitter, it immediately resonated with many people online.

William’s thread soon went viral, amassing 39.2k likes from people sharing all kinds of heartbreaking stories of being unrightfully disturbed by the police. “Mine is 'not waiting the requisite amount of time between indicating a lane change and changing lanes,'” said the thread’s author, and it became obvious this is just the tip of a giant racist iceberg that rots society from the inside out.

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RaroaRaroa
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For every one of these, there is also someone in the neighbourhood who called the cops for no reason other than "black person present".

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The software engineer also said that even knowing all that, he was genuinely shocked by some of the stories people posted. “There is also a lot of regional variation (I noticed that some of the most extreme incidents were in the midwest),” William added.

“I think this is a consequence of unaddressed structural racism and structures that are built upon that, as well as stereotypes about black people that justify whatever treatment is meted out to them. Police are a reflection of the society that they live in, along with all its biases and inequalities.”

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Bobert Robertson
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter in kindergarten drew up her own ID and gave herself an alias.... I don't think it would fly but it's the only ID she carries...

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William also thinks that there is also “an additional incentive in cities where a significant portion of the city funds come from traffic fines (this is what we saw in Ferguson, MO). In those areas, police are incentivized to target the people with the least amount of power and who are least likely to complain,” he explained.

When asked how could law enforcement earn back trust from society, William said he “doesn’t think people are going to trust law enforcement without some serious accountability as well as re-thinking what exactly the role of police is.”

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BlackestDawn
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, it was suspicious that they were 18 and not already having a criminal record??? Jeezuz effing crist what is wrong with those people.

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“On the accountability front, the one stop I mentioned is one of many that happened to me between the early '90s and the early 2000s in the Boston Metro area. I have only ever received one ticket (doing 42 MPH in a 35 MPH zone, and the cop lied),” the thread’s author recounted.

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“In 2004, the Boston Globe and Northeastern University released a comprehensive study of racial profiling in traffic stops, with a metro area by area breakdown that pretty much validated what most black people knew.”

“For example, MA State Troopers at the time were found to have the least disparity in traffic stops between different demographic/age groups. Also, the standards to be an MA State Trooper are much higher (education, psych evaluations, etc.) That squares with my experience. At the time, State Troopers were considered tough but fair. There were huge disparities based on race between other metro area police forces.”

William explained that this “report landed like a bomb and triggered changes where police had to start recording demographic data of whom they stopped, and suddenly, like that, I stopped getting 'randomly' stopped.” He added that he didn’t have a single DWB stop between then, 2004 or so, and when he left the state in 2013.

However, William sees a looming complex problem still taking place nationwide, as “even in MA, some police departments pushed back against the report. Police departments have fought accountability at every level.”

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“Bad cops are protected, and when bad cops are fired or let go, it is very easy for them to find a job at another police department (this was the case with Timothy Loehmann, who murdered 12 year old Tamir Rice). Derek Chauvin (who murdered George Floyd) had a string of past incidents in his disciplinary record, one of which was eerily similar to the way he killed George Floyd.”

William concluded that “there are no comprehensive hiring standards for police officers at a state or federal level, it is city by city,” which makes it all the more problematic.

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WilvanderHeijden
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The cop just saw a black man with a white kid in a car, which is obviously a sure sign of a crime in progress. [sarcasm : off]

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But there is also the larger problem of heavy militarization of police. William sees that it has to do with “a mindset where police see themselves apart from society (in a lot of cases, police do not live in the same precincts that they are tasked with patrolling). The mindset issue can be seen in the fact that one of the most popular trainers of police (Dave Grossman) teaches a course touting 'Killology,' which is intended to lower police inhibitions to kill suspects.”

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Angela Robinson
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She was pulled over for smiling, which, apparently is suspicious, while another poster was stopped for not smiling, also suspicious. Disgusting.

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“When police are taught to see the people they police as an 'enemy' population (Killology is more appropriate as something taught to the military), bad things are going to happen, especially when that population does not look like them,” he explained and added that “American police kill a staggering amount of black people, but they also kill a staggering amount of white people too (larger in absolute numbers than the total amount of black people they kill, but once population size is accounted for, the rate at which they kill black people is higher).”

“Both those rates are much higher than all other developed nations in the world, and higher than a lot of developing countries,” William said.

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Queen Candid
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is terrible. these cops need to be fired... how do they even get away with this stuff?? it's rediculous and disgusting...

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The American Psychological Association notes that research psychologists have studied the psychological effects of racial profiling and found that “victim effects” of racial profiling include post-traumatic stress disorder and other forms of stress-related disorders, perceptions of race-related threats, and failure to use available community resources.

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According to criminologist Scott Wortley: “To argue that racial profiling is harmless, that it only hurts those who break the law, is to totally ignore the psychological and social damage that can result from always being considered one of the 'usual suspects.' Realizing the sheer level of humiliation it puts on the innocent citizens is a crucial step in erasing the practice of racial profiling, which has been continually ignored."

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Sheila McEnany Markowitz
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, up to getting to work on time...a terrible crime. What is wrong with these idiots? How can so many be so ignorant?

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Rue
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is so sad, I'm so sorry all these racist cops were given jobs to begin with

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Meanwhile, Rachel Godsil, a director of research for the Perception Institute, says that racial profiling has a direct impact not only on its victims, but on the entire dynamics of the community. "Even if it happens to someone that doesn't look like you, it's a harm to the community," she said. These are especially true in countless calls about a "suspicious person" that in reality don’t involve any suspicious activity. Most often, it’s just a person of color walking down the street.

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Ian Koch
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"We have out guns drawn due to your A G G R E S S I V E E Y E C O N T A C T

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SoozeeQ
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night!” Seems those cops forgot the Reason for the Season: "Peace on earth, and Goodwill toward men". SMH.

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BlackestDawn
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You "littered" by putting the appropriate item(s) into a recycling container?

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WilvanderHeijden
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You better be careful with nervous cops. Before you know it they will execute you because "they were in fear of their on life". Valid excuse, dozens of cops have gotten away with it.

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denzoren
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once got robbed just outside the gate of my campus, reported it...had to wait about an hour with campus police until they told me they can't do anything since it's "outside of campus" and then went to the police where I was told, "why did you take so long to report it? We can't do anything now". Not once did anyone ask if we (my friend and I) were okay.

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Joyce Melton
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Both sets of cops lied to you. The first set's jurisdiction includes people who are traveling to or from the school, so you were covered. I've never heard of campus cops who do not have such jurisdiction. The second set of cops just didn't want the paperwork.

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Gerry Nix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Suspicious pedaling...now I've heard it all.... Did he show you how to properly peddle? Like with a monocle and top hat?

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KT
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

of course its in america.... My husband has a colleague who moved to canada from USA. Told my husband he was shocked how nice the police are here in canada, that in USA he was always pulled over and treated terrible for no reason. I am glad he is in canada with us now hes a very nice man

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jknbt jknbt
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

you people are in liberal fantasy land if you don't think this happens both ways... There is a small town named Ames on Hwy 90. You have to go through it when going east. It is an all-black community with a black judge, black cops, and black juries when called. Everybody knows when going thru Ames to go no more than 50 mph, or you will get a "DWW" (driving while white) ticket. They issue tickets for going 56 mph in a 55 zone. I have heard the same thing happens in certain communities in US-VI. And don't start raging and calling me a racist for pointing this out. It is no more racist than the entire article here.

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???
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

well for one, that is what you get for going to Knoxville. It is a crap area. all you would have had to do is present your student id, which should be carried at all times. 10 extra points for using "were" correctly in the subjunctive case.

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Thomas Biorogue
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2 years ago

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Bernd Herbert
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember when I first heard of "Campus Police" in the US. I was amazed that that existed at all. In Germany we do not have Campus police and frankly I found that very weird and off-putting

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debrina blackmoon
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, I am definitely prejudiced...against these toxic, pathetic waste-of- cells unnatural disasters of all sorts!!!

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MERCI LANGSTON
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Aren't there a lot of shootings at this school? Or there was when my cousin went there.

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Thomas Biorogue
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Probably had nothing to do with race. Maybe you were dressed like a hoodlum. I'm glad they're stopping people to verify students. They arrested several people while my daughter was attending college, who didn't belong on campus. They were dealers and the like. I'm a white guy and was followed around by mall security for 20 mins. till I got ticked and stormed out. My mom told me because I look like a thief. At the time I had long hair and wore like biker clothes and heavy metal shirts and the like. Think I was 17 or 18. It's how I presented myself. Not always has to do with this stuff wrapped around our bones.

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