"The root of humiliation"

"Police in France have broad discretion to carry out identity checks even when no wrongdoing is suspected. The stops--known as controle d'identité--can involve lengthy questioning, orders to empty pockets, bag searches, and intrusive pat-downs. Statistical and qualitative research indicates that these checks particularly affect black and Arab young men and boys, subjecting them to frequent humiliating pat-downs without any explanation, in some cases accompanied by insults and physical abuse. Individuals stopped by the police are rarely told the legal basis for the stop, do not receive any written record of the stop, and can face criminal prosecution for bringing complaints. The frequent stops experienced by young black and Arabs suggest that police are engaging in unlawful ethnic profiling--making assumptions about who is more likely to be a delinquent based on appearance rather than on actual behavior. The Root of Humiliation, based on research in Paris, Lyon and Lille, shows that these abusive police stops have a deeply negative impact on relations between the police and minority youth. Many described identity checks as the sharp edge of their broader experience of discrimination and exclusion in French society. Human Rights Watch calls on French authorities to adopt legal and policy reforms to prevent ethnic profiling and abusive treatment. Identity check powers--including pat-downs--should be used only when there is a real, individualized suspicion, and those stopped should be given a written record of the procedure. The police should gather, analyze and publish detailed data on identity checks. Failure to enact reforms will allow abuses to go unchecked, and relations between the police and minorities deteriorate further."--P. [4] of cover.