Racial Profiling: Ventimiglia and Beyond

Racial profiling has been a long-standing issue, be it at an airport, train station, or

police checkpoint. Despite seeping into the national dialogue, this topic remains very controversial. Understanding racial profiling requires the use of a working definition. For the purpose of this article, I define racial profiling as the law enforcement practice of using race, ethnicity, national origin, or religious appearance, among other factors, to determine which people are suspicious enough to warrant police stops, questions, frisks, searches, and other routine police practices. Racial profiling, a violation of fundamental civil liberties, is not only morally objectionable and ineffective, but also undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system and instills distrust in targeted populations.

As an Indian person of color (POC), I have experienced some of these morally objectionable elements of biased policing at the Franco-Italian border. I have always had to carry my passport and my student card to leave and reenter France. The feeling of being singled out by the border police and getting interrogated is often quite humiliating. In one instance, my first week in France, I remember going from Menton to Ventimiglia when I had an unnerving experience with the border police. 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 justice 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 eradicate 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 decision-making. The real problem posed by racial profiling is that law enforcement authorities often violate domestic and international legal principles, like non-discrimination 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.

- Ishan Nathani