Justice

Diversity in the law enforcement agency refers to the creation of an enforcement agency that is made up of people from different races and ethnic backgrounds. Diversity in the law enforcement agencies has been seen as an important tool in eliminating race based enforcement. In America for example, a diverse law enforcement agency is regarded as one which offers equal treatment in its duties in law enforcement. It has also been observed that diversity in ranks in law enforcement agencies is very crucial in eliminating racism and ethnicity. This is due to the fact that police personnel will be more sensitive in the use of language that portrays one as a racist. In a paper published by the Canadian government ( Canada for all), the government revealed that diversity in its law enforcement agencies would contribute greatly in the fight against racism and negative ethnicity which would in turn strengthen social cohesion reduce cases of hate motivated crimes. From this few facts it is evident that a diverse law enforcement agency would be very effective in eliminating racism.

Racial profiling can be defined as any action taken by police which is influenced by race, ethnicity or his/her nationality instead of the individuals' original behavior. The New Jersey's racial profiling law is not clearly defined to punish official's who involve themselves in any action which brings about racism or ethnicity. Law enforcement officials are described as persons who have the mandate of providing safety to the public and enforcing the law partially. Any misconduct by these officials is therefore seen as a blow to the government in its functions of serving the public. Therefore it is important for the law to provide provisions which prohibit law enforcement officers from any act of racial discrimination. The existing laws should as well be strengthened to handle any kind of misconduct by security officials.

Eliminating all race biased enforcement is difficult since it is normally contributed by an individuals' personal behavior but several actions can be undertaken to reduce this incidences. Recommendations that have been proposed in the fight against racism include:-

  • Adopting deprivation of civil rights as an offence.
  • Setting up a permanent and independent review system to handle citizen complaints of misconduct by law enforcement personnel.
  • The superintendent of the NJSP to compile and submit annual reports on complaints to the governor and legislature.
  • Establishment of "public confidence police integrity" telephone hotline.
  • Criminalizing the act of tampering with electronic devices such as cameras and other monitoring devices installed in police patrol cars.
  • Taking law enforcement officials through a psychological test for racial bias.
  • Requirement that NJSP files reports on motor vehicle stops which should capture detailed information about grounds for the stop, individuals' characteristics such as race, ethnicity and the final action taken against the individual.
  • Requirement that certain NJSP records concerning activity of patrol units, radio recordings and videotapes records be maintained for at least 10 years.
  • Establishment of a database containing information about the performance of individual officers. This information can be used to generate a computerized "early warning system" which can determine whether a pattern is unacceptable.
  • Requirement that every member of the NJSP to undergo annual performance evaluation. Establishment of a speedy trial act which can try criminals within 6 months of the indictment. Adoption of a justification defense jury instruction which targets police officers which apply deadly force during arrest.
  • Providing sufficient funds to be used in the war against racial profiling.