Criminal Profiling

The crime I chose was robbery, and those aged 18 to 24 are most likely to commit this crime. I feel this age range is very accurate, especially in today's society, as the crimes being committed are often by offenders within these age groups. Robbery is more likely to be committed by males than females. In my opinion, males aren’t as disciplined as females, which I believe makes them more at risk for committing crimes. Factors stimulating this type of behavior include growing up in impoverished neighborhoods, peer pressure, unemployment, etc.

In my hometown, property crimes such as larceny-theft and burglaries are most likely to be committed. Violent crimes like robbery and murder also occur but not as often. The most common crimes in Orangeburg are larceny-theft, with burglaries slightly behind. I agree with larceny-theft and burglaries being the most common, simply because I have seen more cases reported regarding these crimes than any other. On Claflin campus, minor crimes such as possession of weapons, drugs, or alcohol are more common. However, major crimes like robbery and rape, though common, are often underreported.

People often associate African Americans with murder, robbery, rape, and drug-related crimes. These crimes are mostly said to be committed by African American men from lower-income environments. I would have usually agreed with the stereotype about rape until I learned it was untrue. Statistics show that whites are more likely than black men to commit rape. For arrests made by race in 2017, there were 12,187 arrests for whites for rape and 5,182 arrests for Black/African Americans. I also dispute the association of African Americans with drug-related crimes. Statistics show that 889,030 whites were arrested in 2017 for drug abuse violations, while only 342,513 blacks were arrested.

However, I agree with the association of murder and robbery with African Americans. There were 5,025 arrests for murder and 4,188 for whites in relation to robbery, there were 40,024 blacks arrested and 32,128 for whites. Although the numbers for murder and robbery are higher for blacks than whites, the gap isn't significant. Regarding female-associated crime, women are typically linked to less violent crimes such as drug abuse violations, larceny-theft, driving under the influence, disorderly conduct, and fraud. Statistics for arrests in 2017 show that 309,691 women were arrested for drug abuse violations, 306,208 for larceny-theft, 195,421 for driving under the influence, 82,034 for disorderly conduct, and 36,309 for fraud. I find all these crime associations with women to be accurate.

I believe profiling by police is influenced by our age, but it is not the only factor. Other aspects contribute to making us targets for the police. For instance, Black and Latino individuals are more likely to be targets of racial profiling, where they are approached by police for unknown reasons. In my opinion, adolescents to young adults of these races are likely to be targeted more than any other age groups. An example of this would be the Trayvon Martin incident. This is discussed according to the article "Driving While Black (DWB): Examining Race as a Tool in the War on Drugs."

Research has pointed toward the conclusion that there is a racial disproportion in motorists who are stopped and searched for drugs, particularly in situations where police are afforded high degrees of discretion. This research explores the question of whether race is correlated with the detection of drug offenders, the type of drugs detected, and the quantities found. The findings lend some support to the notion that race may be correlated with the type and amount of drugs discovered during motor vehicle stops and searches (Lichtenberg, 2006).

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