Pubdate: Tue, 29 Jan 2002
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2002 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  http://www.sjmercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Author: P. Kim Wheeler

PROFILING PARADOX

THE inherent problem with Jack C. Roylance's defense of profiling
(Letters, Jan. 28) is contained in his basic assumption: ``Suppose
that your files showed that 18 out of the last 20 opium smugglers
caught were male, between 25 and 50 years of age . . . .''

``Caught'' is the operative word. We know that opium shipments are
being brought into the country. We do not know exactly how many
smugglers that we did not catch. The question is, except for the two
that were caught, how many of the smugglers were successful bringing
shipments through customs and did not fit the profile?

When you make assumptions about the characteristics of the smugglers,
the smugglers you catch will fit the characteristics. The unknown
percentage will continue to smuggle, and they will not fit your profile.

Check everybody, no matter how much time it takes. If you pick and
choose, you will catch only the people you think are potential
smugglers. And miss the others.

P. KIM WHEELER
San Jose
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MAP posted-by: manny lovitto