How is racial profiling defined in the context of law enforcement?

Racial profiling in the context of law enforcement is defined as targeting individuals based on their race or ethnicity rather than on their behavior or specific evidence of wrongdoing. This practice often manifests in the form of heightened scrutiny or suspicion directed toward minority communities, leading to an increased likelihood of arrests and traffic citations for these individuals. The focus here is on the characteristic of race or ethnicity that disproportionately impacts minority groups.

This understanding of racial profiling highlights the ways in which law enforcement practices can perpetuate systemic inequalities and biases, resulting in harmful consequences for targeted communities. In contrast, other choices either address unrelated issues like socioeconomic status or imply a fair and unbiased enforcement of the law, which does not align with the concept of racial profiling. Consequently, the correct answer reflects the specific and problematic action of targeting minorities, encapsulating the essence of what racial profiling entails in law enforcement.