Memphis Authorities Approved an Ordinance that Limits When Police Can Pull Drivers Over, in Hopes of Preventing Deadly Encounters Between Officers and Black Residents (it Didn't Work in Berkeley CA)

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From [HERE] Memphis City Council approved a police reform ordinance that limits when officers can pull drivers over, in hopes of preventing negative encounters between officers and citizens. The decision comes after the police killing of Tyre Nichols in January.

Councilmember Michalyn Easter-Thomas said the new Driving Equality Act is modeled after a Philadelphia law of the same name, which took effect in March 2022. Both policies create a list of minor vehicle violations that can no longer be the sole reason an officer pulls someone over.

In Philadelphia, those violations are:

  • Late registration (if under 60 days late)

  • Relocation of temporary registration (must be visible)

  • Hanging license plate (must be fastened)

  • Missing a single headlight or taillight

  • Items hanging from a rearview mirror

  • Minor bumper damage

  • Driving with an expired or missing inspection sticker

  • Driving with an expired or missing registration sticker

(this is more symbolic politics from reformers: there are literally hundreds of regulations that police can use to make traffic stops [MORE])

Memphis’s ordinance includes five infractions. At the Tuesday City Council meeting where the policy was approved, Easter-Thomas said the goals include saving low-income residents from exuberant fines, and allowing police officers to focus on more serious offenses.

“We can build our positive rapport between our officers and our community members,” she said. “It limits the possible negative interactions that officers can have … we’re making sure we focus on what’s really important on our roads and in our communities.”

Philadelphia’s law has been in effect for about a year. In the first eight months of implementation, traffic stops of Black men for the covered violations dropped 54% according to data from the Defender Association of Philadelphia, as did stops for people of all races committing those offenses. Across the board, there was a slight uptick in stops for moving violations including blowing stop lights and driving the wrong way. [MORE]

Not so, however in Berkeley according to Mapping Violence 2022 Police Violence Report , which states “In February 2021, the City of Berkeley enacted a new policy meant to restrict police from enforcing some traffic violations, including equipment violations like expired tags or tinted windows. While stops for equipment violations have declined since then, overall police traffic enforcement has not reduced substantially – indicating the need for more expansive restrictions on police traffic enforcement.“