![]() Yes, people of color are stopped, questioned, and searched by police at higher rates than white people-but, critically, Black drivers were less likely to be stopped after sunset, when a “veil of darkness” masked their race.Īnd officer-initiated traffic stops are dangerous for police, too. One large-scale analysis of 100 million traffic stops across the country found evidence of persistent racial bias. Philando Castile, Samuel DuBose, and Daunte Wright were all killed during traffic stops for minor violations. “In addition to increasing racial bias within our criminal legal system, non–public safety stops also do not improve safety in our communities,” George wrote in a memo announcing the policy. Most recently, in Vermont, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George announced that her office will decline to prosecute cases in which evidence was collected during such non–public safety stops. These low-level traffic stops too often turn into fishing expeditions when officers carry out opportunistic searches for drugs or guns or outstanding warrants. Pittsburgh police data also shows that Black drivers are stopped more frequently than other motorists.Ī growing number of prosecutors have also moved to stop bringing criminal cases against people who are stopped and detained for minor traffic offenses while police seek evidence of a more serious crime. Pittsburgh’s City Council approved similar legislation in December 2021, preventing police from pulling drivers over for some minor offenses, like an improperly placed license plate. Police will no longer stop drivers for these infractions, but they can still issue citations by mail. The new policy doesn’t decriminalize these offenses, though. The law, which bans low-level traffic stops for seven offenses, including driving without registration, will go into effect this year. In November 2021, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kennedy signed the Driving Equality Act. ![]() And once stopped, Black people are 2.4 times more likely than white people to have their vehicles searched by police. There, local data shows Black Philadelphians are 5.2 times as likely to be pulled over as their white counterparts. city to ban police officers from pulling drivers over for minor traffic violations. Philadelphia recently became the first major U.S. Increasingly, city councils, mayors, and prosecutors are getting behind calls to eliminate these kinds of stops. They do, however, drive racial disparities: study after study shows that Black drivers are more likely to get pulled over for low-level violations than other drivers in the United States. In the worst cases, police stops for trivial infractions turn deadly.īut stops for those offenses-tinted windows, a missing inspection sticker, an air freshener dangling from the rearview mirror- don’t make us safer. A laundry list of minor traffic violations can lead to tickets and even jail time. ![]()
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