David A. Harris

Racial profiling, including race-based traffic stops, undermines the effectiveness and legitimacy of the criminal justice system, David A. Harris contends in the following viewpoint. He argues that these traffic stops—which are used as a pretext to search cars for drugs—causes the affected drivers to distrust the police and can ultimately make police work harder and more dangerous. Harris asserts that federal and state governments need to take steps to end racially motivated traffic stops. Harris is a professor at the University of Toledo College of Law in Toledo, Ohio.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Harris, how have African Americans and Latinos altered their driving habits?
2. In 1997, what percentage of cars stopped by California Highway Patrol canine units contained drugs?
3. What steps does...