Nonetheless, the findings thus far are considered by many to be startling. Two bills are pending before Congress that would require police in all states to keep statistics on race and police stops. Many civil rights organizations believe racial profiling is responsible for the high rate of drug arrests among minorities, as well as the perception that minorities are responsible for America's drug problem. They argue that because police believe minorities are more likely to carry drugs, police stop them more often and thus find a disproportionate number of minorities with illegal substances. Consequently, more minorities are arrested and convicted, thus reinforcing the belief that they make up the majority of drug dealers and users.
All drivers have the same rights regardless of race or skin color.
Under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, police cannot stop and detain a driver without probable cause or a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. However, if an officer uses race alone as probable cause to believe a crime is being committed, he or she is violating the person's civil rights. Recent court decisions have given police a great deal of leeway in deciding when to stop a driver and when to search the occupants of a car. Civil rights activists argue this decision can lead to abuses. They point out that almost all drivers violate some traffic or vehicle law each time they drive and that this ruling allows police to stop minorities while ignoring violations made by white drivers.