What is racial profiling in the context of law enforcement?

Racial profiling in the context of law enforcement refers to making decisions about an individual's behavior or potential criminality based on their race or ethnicity rather than on evidence or behavior that points to criminal activity. This practice involves law enforcement officers using a person's racial characteristics as a primary factor to suspect them of criminal activity, without sufficient justification or evidence.

This issue is significant because it can lead to unfair treatment of minority groups and perpetuates negative stereotypes, undermining public trust in law enforcement. Racial profiling has been widely criticized for contributing to a cycle of discrimination and bias within the criminal justice system. The other answer choices either describe legitimate investigative practices or do not directly relate to the concept of racial profiling.