Good Cop, Bad Cop

Book excerpt: Good Cop, Bad Cop looks at the rise of racial profiling, one of the most important and hotly debated topics in criminal justice, and traces its development from its origins in criminal profiling, through the use of profiles in drug trafficking prevention efforts in airports and on the U.S. highways, until it became synonymous with racial discrimination by law enforcement. The authors draw upon an extensive body of primary sources, social science literature, and court cases to examine how law enforcement, legislators, and the courts have handled racial profiling. They also review the debate over racial profiling, offering arguments made by its opponents and defenders before and after the events of September 11 and describe its development as both a legal and a cultural concept.