Profiling, screening and criminal recruitment

Cotton, Christopher and Li, Cheng (2013): Profiling, screening and criminal recruitment. Forthcoming in: Journal of Public Economic Theory

Abstract

We model major criminal activity as a game in which a law enforcement officer chooses the rate at which to screen different population groups, and a criminal organization (e.g. drug cartel, terrorist cell) chooses the observable characteristics of its recruits. Our model best describes smuggling or terrorism activities at borders, airports and other security checkpoints. The most effective law enforcement policy imposes only moderate restrictions on the officer's ability to profile. In contrast to models of decentralized crime, requiring equal treatment never improves the effectiveness of law enforcement.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: racial profiling, law enforcement, national security, smuggling, terrorism, crime
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D0 - General > D02 - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact; H - Public Economics > H5 - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies > H56 - National Security and War; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J7 - Labor Discrimination > J78 - Public Policy; K - Law and Economics > K4 - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior > K42 - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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