Profiling Minorities: A Study of Stop-and-Search Practices in Paris

Police officers in Paris consistently stop people on the basis of ethnicity and dress rather than on the basis of suspicious individual behavior, according to a report released by the Open Society Justice Initiative.

The report documents over 500 police stops over a one-year period and across five locations in and around the Gare du Nord train station and Châtelet-Les Halles commuter rail station.

The data show that Blacks were between 3.3 and 11.5 times more likely than Whites to be stopped; while Arabs were stopped between 1.8 and 14.8 more times than Whites. The study also found a strong relationship between people's ethnicity, particular styles of clothing worn by young people, and the likelihood that they would be stopped. 

The report recommends a number of reforms to identity check practices in Paris, including reform of law and policies that allow ethnic profiling; an explicit ban on discrimination by police officials; stronger criteria for the "reasonable suspicion" required to stop persons; and enhanced record keeping and review of stops to assess their impact and promote better practice. 

The complete report is available for download below in English and French.

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