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Northern Essex Community College

Module 11 Prep Activity

Review the activity overview, learning objectives, directions, and submission expectations before submitting your work.

Overview

Racial profiling remains one of the most debated issues in modern policing, raising questions about fairness, ethics, and effectiveness. In this discussion, students will explore insights from assigned readings, online research, and the article Racial Bias and Disparities in Proactive Policing to examine how racial profiling affects communities, police departments, and the broader criminal justice system. Using bullet points, students will organize their findings and support them with credible evidence. The activity concludes with a personal reflection on whether racial profiling can ever be justified, encouraging students to think critically about justice, equality, and accountability in law enforcement.

Learning Objectives

(These objectives support the prep activity and are not the questions to be answered.)

  • LO1: Discuss the use of racial profiling within the criminal justice system. (SLO1)
  • LO2: Explain the impact of crime data and its connection to racial profiling.  (SLO6)
Prep Topic

After completing this week’s assigned readings, the assigned article Racial Bias and Disparities in Proactive Policing, and any additional research, prepare to participate in an in-class discussion examining the impact of racial profiling on policing and the criminal justice system.

Before coming to class, prepare a bulleted list (not full paragraphs) that includes:

  • Evidence-based examples of how racial profiling may affect: 
    • Communities
    • Police departments
    • The criminal justice system as a whole
  • The legal and ethical concerns associated with racial profiling.
  • At least three arguments supporting the position that race should never be considered when making law enforcement decisions.
  • At least three arguments supporting the position that race may, under limited and legally appropriate circumstances, be considered as one factor among many in a criminal investigation when supported by specific, credible evidence.
  • Which position you currently find more persuasive, and why.
  • One question or observation you would like to discuss with your classmates.
Acceptable & Ethical Use of AI
  • Use AI to help you organize and synthesize evidence from the assigned readings and other sources regarding the impact of racial profiling on communities, police departments, and the criminal justice system, so you can clearly structure your bullet-point responses before writing.
  • Use AI to assist you in clarifying the arguments for and against racial profiling discussed in the course materials, helping you frame an evidence-based opinion before completing the activity.
Directions

Please read all instructions carefully before submitting your prep activity.

  • Your prep should be no longer than one page.
  • This is not a paper; it should consist of concise talking points and bullet statements for our in-class discussion.
  • An abstract is not required.
  • Sources are not required.
  • Focus on key concepts, analysis, and examples that will help guide classroom discussion.
  • Do not overthink this activity. A simple list of well-developed talking points is sufficient.
Submission Guidelines
  • Submit your prep activity through the designated submission area.
  • Accepted formats include Word or PDF unless otherwise specified.
  • Review the grading rubric before submitting your work.
  • Submissions are checked using both a plagiarism checker and AI detection software.
  • Direct quotations should not exceed 15% of the total submission.
Important Reminder

Important: All work must be your own. AI may be used only in the limited and ethical ways described above. Using AI to write your submission is considered academic dishonesty. This activity is intended to prepare you for class discussion, so focus on creating your own talking points and analysis.