Social Profiling: Still goes on no matter what they say

Friday I had the chance of walking along Jacksonville's South bank of the Riverwalk around Friendship Fountain. It was just before people were leaving the high rise offices, the time when you only see people in the area who don't have 'anything better to do'.

I spotted three couples in the area, and one police cruiser driving by one time on the sidewalk in a 20 minute time period. One of the couples I knew someone directly, having been a person of interest to my family for the time period we experienced homelessness.

The officer made it a point of checking the male's identification, as opposed to anyone else he had seen in the area. As he called information through his handheld radio, I approached and engaged the young girl I was acquainted of.

The only reason she related the officer gave as to asking for her friend's identification was he'd never seen them before in the park. Again, this was a young lady I'd known for years and at one time mentored over some issues I'm not able to relate here. Full of hopes, dreams, one day finding that one special guy to be able to send out wedding invitations for...I looked on her as a niece I never had.

The one thing that separated the place she was sitting at as opposed to anyone else not confronted by the officer?

There was a book bag on the picnic table she and her friends sat at talking. Just remember...this could have been your kid on a sunny Jacksonville day as well.