What is bias-based policing?

• A. Policing decisions influenced by stereotypes about race, ethnicity, gender, or other characteristics; common forms include racial profiling and implicit bias in discretion.
• B. Policing decisions are based solely on the legal code with no bias.
• C. Policing decisions are randomized.
• D. Bias-based policing only affects media coverage.

Answer: (C)

Bias-based policing happens when enforcement decisions are shaped by stereotypes about race, ethnicity, gender, or other characteristics rather than by objective evidence and legal standards. This includes practices like racial profiling, where individuals are treated differently because of their group membership, and decisions influenced by implicit bias in discretionary actions such as stops, searches, or the level of enforcement used. This concept focuses on how personal or societal biases can creep into everyday policing decisions, leading to unfair treatment and eroding trust in the justice system.

The other ideas don’t fit because policing that’s strictly based on the legal code and free of bias isn’t bias-based policing at all, randomness would mean no systematic decision-making or discrimination, and bias-based policing isn’t about media coverage but about frontline enforcement decisions and their fairness.