Pubdate: Wed, 5 May 1999
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 1999 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Forum: http://www10.nytimes.com/comment/
Author: Gerald M. Sutliff 

FAIRNESS IN PROFILING 

To the Editor,

It is important to note that the police practice of racial profiling
did not begin with the war on drugs  [news article, May 1]. However,
ending racial profiling may well doom the war on drugs.

If the police are required to turn to random selection for stop and
search, a much greater number of middle and upper-middle class white
men and women will suffer the humiliation that members of minority
groups have suffered, and the war on drugs will end.     

Gerald M. Sutliff Emeryville, Calif.
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