Philly First Major US City to Ban Minor Traffic Stops – By Liz MacGahan (Newser) / Oct 31 2021
Move to promote equality, make public and police feel safer
(NEWSER) – Police in Philadelphia will no longer pull cars over for minor traffic infractions. The bill, which passed Oct. 14 and is expected to be signed into law soon by Mayor Jim Kenney, is designed to end pretextual stops and stick to stopping cars only when public safety requires it. Minor problems like an emissions test sticker that isn’t visible or tags that have been expired for only a short time no longer require a stop, per FOX29. The bill’s author, city council member Isaiah Thomas, wrote in a press release that data and lived experience show that such stops disproportionately affect Black people. Stops for minor infractions that turn tragic when a driver is killed by police, like the case of Philando Castile was shot and killed after being pulled over for a broken taillight, are part of what motivated the change.
Dennis Jay Kenney, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the bill could have both a positive and a negative effect. The positive: “If you’re tired of driving while Black, you’re less likely to cooperate during these stops,” Kenney told CNN. The downside would be that some of these infractions are illegal because they affect public safety. However, they are still illegal and drivers who break those rules will get a warning or a ticket by mail. Thomas has high hopes that both police and the public will feel safer. “This approach seeks to redirect police time and resources towards keeping Philadelphians safe while removing negative interactions that widen the divide and perpetuate mistrust,” he said. (Read more police reform stories.)
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