What constitutes discriminatory or bias-based policing?

• A. Treating everyone the same, regardless of behavior.
• B. Applying bias-based policies only in certain districts.
• C. Unequal treatment based on characteristics like race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or socioeconomic status.
• D. Using random selection for stops.

Answer: (C)

Bias-based policing means decision-making that is guided by characteristics like race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or socioeconomic status rather than by objective behavior or evidence. The option that describes unequal treatment based on those characteristics best captures what discrimination looks like in practice: people are treated differently not because of what they did, but because of who they are. That kind of differential treatment undermines fairness, trust, and legal standards.

Consider how policing should work: actions such as stops, searches, or use of force should be driven by observable behavior, specific facts, and legitimate public-safety concerns. When decisions hinge on protected traits, it shifts away from evidence-based policing and into prejudice, which is unacceptable.

For contrast, treating everyone the same regardless of behavior reflects nondiscriminatory practice and is appropriate when behavior and evidence are the basis for actions. Applying biased policies in some districts still constitutes bias-based policing, since the criteria themselves are biased. Using random stops is not based on bias, but it’s not a sound or fair enforcement practice either, since it ignores behavior and evidence.