Let me re-phrase my original question: assuming you live in a majority

[hedgehog]

white area, and assuming most people do not approve of racism, how do you find out if the local cops are practicing profiling, and how do you stop it? This can also apply in areas where residents from one side of the city are well treated and residents from the other side are considered criminals.

[MineralMan]

1. In my area, the Twin Cities, a guy can check with

the Urban League and ask such questions. That's what I do.

[hedgehog]

3. MY guess is that most people aren't close enough to the problem

top realize it is a problem. In 30 years I've been stopped once by an officer. I was driving home from second shift at 3AM in a snowstorm and figured that I may have run a red light or something. It turned out that it was St. Patrick's Day and he figured anyone out driving at that hour was likely to be DWI. Until something happens like with Prof. Gates, it would never occur to me to wonder what happens to other people In my community.

[sandnsea]

2. I would call the police chief

if I heard about an incident. Or address the officer directly if I thought I saw it happening. We have a group of activists who keep their ear to the ground on this sort of thing. Word gets around. We know who the bullies are and would step forward if an accusation were made. Larger cities should have community boards to keep a watch on the police to prevent this sort of thing.

I am really shocked at how many people seem to be terrified of police officers. If you really are scared to speak up for fear of arrest, then you've got some out of control cops to deal with. Seriously. It's not necessary to live like that.

[MineralMan]

4. That wouldn't be the best source of information, I'm thinking.

Neither would the Urban League, I guess. Somewhere, a synthesis of the two points of view would probably get close to the real situation.

As an older white guy, my interactions with the police have been uneventful. With only one exception, I have been the complainant. In that one, I accidentally stopped at a red light, then drove on after checking for traffic. I was thinking about something else and behaved as I would at a four-way stop.

I got pulled over. I explained that I had had a brain fart and knew exactly what I had done as soon as I did it. The cop told me to be more careful and keep my mind on the road, then let me go.

So, I'm no reference on police behavior. However, I do interest myself in law enforcement in my area, and know that life is different for black, hispanic, and Hmong residents here. They are treated quite differently. The protestors at the GOP convention here in Saint Paul were also treated much differently.

[sandnsea]

5. To make a complaint

Not to ask whether racial profiling is happening. I don't like our police chief and wouldn't be a bit surprised if it was happening. There just hasn't been any actual incidents yet.

Eugene has a citizens panel and they investigate everything and tend to know what's going on there. Then again, it depends on who is on the citizens panel.

I've lived in many places and had various incidents with cops. I have been VERY angry with them at points in time and never ever been anywhere near arrest. I did have one cop mention arrest and I laughed and asked him on what charge, yelling at you? He took a different approach and we worked it out. But then I'm a typical white lady with kids in a small town. I don't suppose that would happen everywhere, but I feel like people ought to know that it should.