Hail no! Taxi union leader urges drivers to racially profile
The problem with this is that the real profile for crime is “Young, poor, uneducated, and Male”. Profiling by race is the lose.
If taxi drivers take the advice of New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers President Fernando Mateo, Mateo might not be able to catch a cab if he wears a hoodie this winter in New York City.
Mateo’s words were simple after an incident involving a livery cab driver in Queens who was shot multiple times by a Latino male suspect: “Profile your passengers.” The message is especially shocking being that Mateo himself is half Black and half Latino.
The words stem from the shooting of 58-year-old livery cab driver Trevor Bell, who was shot six times in the neck and legs this past weekend. The alleged suspect was a 22-year-old Latino male who was caught on a surveillance camera in the cab, with footage showing his face and him aiming a gun. The suspect made off with less than $100. Police have made no arrests.