Editorial
JANUARY 2022
13
Racial Profiling: Ventimiglia and Beyond Article by Ishan Naithani, guest reporter I was the only person standing on Platform B (the side opposing the train station), waiting for the train to arrive. Oddly enough, I saw a group of three French policemen running towards me, screaming from the other side “attends là.” When they came to the platform where I stood, they disrespectfully asked me to show my passport and to tell them where I was heading. They also asked me to open my bag for an inspection. As I opened my bag, one of the officers noticed my Sciences Po hoodie (what a clutch). At that moment, their demeanor changed completely. They not only told me that my passport and bag were not needed anymore, but also wished me “un bon voyage.” Biased inspections keep happening — I am singled out, asked to prove my identity, interrogated about the reasons for my border crossing, and treated without courtesy — despite belonging in a group of people from the same university. While my experience is certainly harrowing, it is also humbling. Unlike me, most other persons of color, who are disproportionately victims of racial profiling, rarely know to use their right to demand a reason for apprehension from a police officer. Unlike me, ethnic minorities may not have a Sciences Po hoodie to save them. Every time someone calls criminal jus-
tice a vital institution to democracy, I remember the ghastly sight of someone being pulled aside and getting beaten up by the police in Ventimiglia. It reminds me of the widespread bias, racism, and xenophobia that still corrupt our society; the same discrimination that lies but a few few kilometers away from us. Racial profiling points towards discriminatory attitudes within legal institutions like law enforcement, and it reveals a deeply entrenched norm of systemic racism in today’s societies. It is challenging to eradi-
cate racism inherent to every major institution, which is why we must go beyond understanding individual acts of racism. Non-discriminatory law enforcement is also aided by the recruitment and retention of officers from varied backgrounds, who are more reflective of the community they serve. This enhanced representation can alter organizational culture and staff attitudes, which is predicted to result in less biased decisionmaking. The real problem posed by racial profiling is that law enforcement authorities often violate domestic and international legal principles, like non-dis-
The view of Ventimiglia, Italy from Menton, France. Photo by Hugo Lagergren
crimination and the right to equal legal treatment. Furthermore, data indicates that racial profiling is ineffective as a law enforcement technique and should be replaced. Racial profiling is not a new trend, but it definitely can not continue to be the status quo. Whether through discussions with civil society representatives and the media, or by creating large-scale shifts in socio-political attitudes, racial profiling can be reversed in Ventimiglia and beyond. And because it can, it must.
