Did police target black barbershops in Moreno Valley?

The barbers and their customers remain indignant and humiliated. They say business has fallen off and their reputations are damaged. And beyond the negative impact on the shops themselves, the raids have had ripple effects. Barbershops are of particular importance in the black community; they are part French salon, part Spanish cafe and part community living room for men. Targeting them without a clearly articulated cause is a surefire way to exacerbate tension in a community that already struggles with a sense of being disrespected by law enforcement.

Even worse than the raids themselves, however, is what happened afterward: nothing. In a textbook example of poor community relations, leaders in the fast-growing Riverside County city did little to mediate the issue. There was little or no effort to bring police officials, community leaders and the barbers together or to create forums for discussion and understanding. So one year later, the wound remains open. That's too bad. The raids, which look distinctly like racial profiling at its worst, nonetheless could have become the vehicle for a better working relationship between law enforcement and the barbers. That public airing is likely to happen, but unfortunately now it looks as if it's going to be facilitated by a judge.