Depending on the jurisdiction, in most of them, sleeping in your car is against the law.
The local motel and hotel industry, along with the trade groups have passed ordinances making that a crime.
Fair enough. However, they had a note from her parents with phone numbers. It seems a bit much to haul them all in with handcuffs. While it may be against the law to sleep in your car, it's very seldom something you get arrested for. The officers should have had dispatch call and confirm things, then sent them on their way.
I think this is a clear case of racial profiling. I am not someone who is opposed to any and all racial profiling, I believe there are times when it's appropriate, this just isn't one of them.
I completely agree.
OTH, I am currently raising a teenager I know how what teens are.
And black youths? Forget about it.
Also, when I was in my twenties I lived in the center of a city near the east side of an urban center and hung out with/partied with, etc. black & chicano teens/twenties regularly. I know the attitude they can take when confronted with the fuzz. It is really SO wildly and weirdly different than how I was raised to deal with the po-po.
While we both viewed them as "antagonistic," their coping mechanism with the 5-0 seemed to me idiotic, antagonistic, and down right stupid. Even if you were completely innocent of everything, they would want to MAKE the cops hassle them. I just didn't get it.
My folks raised me to understand these guys were human, carrying a gun, invested with the authority of the state to use it. As such, you just act like their ***** until you can get them to go away. Why make trouble?
OTH, I do know the type of folks that become cops, and they tend, on balance, to be racist pricks. That is the nature of the beast.