INTRODUCTIONRacial profiling is at the heart of the stop and frisk policy used by the New York Police Department. Racial profiling has an important and often controversial place in the history of policing in the United States. Racial profiling can be loosely defined as the use of race as a determining factor in law enforcement decisions to stop, question, and/or detain citizens (Weitzer & Tuch, 2002). Laws in the United States have helped secure and secure race-based decisions in law enforcement. Historically, the Supreme Court has issued decisions that expand a law enforcement officer's discretion. For example, traffic stops can be used to search for evidence even if the officer has not observed any criminal offenses (Harris, 2003). Proponents of racial profiling believe that racial profiling is a crime-fighting tool that treats racial/ethnic groups as potential criminal suspects, on the premise that this increases the chances of catching criminals (Harris, 2003) . Additionally, it is important to note that law enforcement officers only need reasonable suspicion to stop and frisk; probable cause is not required as in other circumstances (Harris, 2003). It is because of this assumption that the New York Police Department's stop-and-frisk policy is still in effect. When police officers are perceived to have racist motivations, when certain groups of people are targeted, it undermines the social goals of policing, weakens residents' cooperation with the police, and raises questions about the legitimacy of the law ( Fagan and Davies, 2000). Proponents also support this claim with statistics that show an association between racial/ethnic groups and crime (Harris, 2003). The argument...... middle of article ......d Police: new and essential readings. New York: New York University Press. Ridgeway, G. (2007). Analysis of racial disparities in the New York Police Department's stop, question, and frisk practices. Santa Monica: Rand Corporation. Terry v. Ohio, 392 US 1 (United States Supreme Court, June 10, 1968). Whren et al. c. US, 517 US 806 (United States Supreme Court, June 10, 1996). Weitzer, R. and Tuch, SA (2002). Perceptions of racial profiling: race, class, and personal experience. Criminology, 40(2), 435-456. Welsh, T. (August 12, 2013). Is stop and frisk unconstitutional? US News & World Report. Retrieved from: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2013/08/12/is-new-york-citys-stop-and-frisk-policy-unconstitutional Wilkins, VM and Williams, BN (2008). Black or blue: racial profiling and representative bureaucracy. Public Administration Review, 68(4), 654-664.