Ace the OPOTA Challenge 2025 – Defend Your Future in Ohio!

The definition of "racial profiling" in the context of law enforcement is encapsulated in the concept of targeting individuals based on their race or ethnicity, rather than on their behavior or evidence of criminal activity. This practice is considered discriminatory because it involves making judgments about a person’s likelihood of criminal behavior primarily on the basis of race or ethnicity, rather than on objective criteria.

This approach undermines trust in law enforcement and can perpetuate systemic discrimination, as it focuses on generalizations about certain racial or ethnic groups instead of evaluating individuals on a case-by-case basis. Effective law enforcement aims to be fair and impartial, treating all individuals equally without prejudice.

In contrast, the other options describe practices that do not align with the concept of racial profiling. Random checks that are not race-based, solely assessing behavior without regard to race, or using technology to support lawful searches do not involve the prejudicial targeting that defines racial profiling.