Ethnic Profiling: Recognizing the Problem and Developing Solutions

Location:	Brussels, Belgium
Event Date:	June 26, 2009

Ethnic profiling by police across Europe—a common and longstanding practice—has intensified in recent years in response to concerns about terrorism. Evidence from countries across the European Union shows that police routinely use generalizations about ethnicity, religion, race, or national origin in deciding who to target for identity checks, stops, and searches.

Minorities and immigrant communities have reported discriminatory treatment by the police. From massive data-mining operations to intimidating identity checks, ethnic profiling is often more of a public relations stunt than a real response to crime.

There is no evidence that ethnic profiling actually prevents terrorism or lowers crime rates and increasing evidence that ethnic profiling is counter-productive insofar as it misdirects law enforcement resources and alienates some of the very persons whose cooperation is necessary for effective crime detection.

This seminar will explore the meaning of ethnic profiling and the challenges and benefits of documenting and addressing the problem.

Speakers

Rachel Neild, Senior Advisor at the Open Society Justice Initiative, will share research findings on ethnic profiling in policing and counter-terrorism across Europe.
Nick Glynn, Chief Inspector of the Leicestershire Constabulary, will talk about the challenges of addressing ethnic profiling in the United Kingdom.
José Francisco Cano de la Vega, Chief of Municipal Police of Fuenlabrada, will share his experiences of Strategies for Effective Police Stop and Search Project (STEPSS), a pilot project that reduced ethnic profiling and increased the effectiveness of the police in detecting crime or other infractions through ID checks.

Interventions from Belgian community groups, academics, and police officers will reflect on how ethnic profiling manifests in Belgium and initiatives to address it.