while racial profiling is before the fact. If you see someone commit a crime and describe that person, you aren't racial profiling because you're describing what you saw. However, if someone says something like "stop all Middle Eastern men from getting on planes", they're lumping everyone into a category based on their race. Not good and probably not effective.

Of course, some forms of "good" racial profiling have been going on for a long time. For example, FBI profilers are frequently brought in to help solve serial murder cases. In almost all cases, the serial killer turns out to be a white male, often aged from 20-35. Based on forensic evidence and the profile, the police concentrate their efforts on the most likely suspects.