NO STOP COPS: Philadelphia Bans Police Stops for Minor Traffic Violations

In an effort to reduce high-tension interactions between law enforcement and people of color, Philadelphia is banning police stops for minor traffic violations. 

Philadelphia marks the first major city to ban police stops of the sort. 

Mayor Jim Kenney signed the legislation Monday, two weeks after the city council voted 14 to 2 to limit traffic stops to violations that threaten public safety, Just the News reports. 

“To many people who look like me, a traffic stop is a rite of passage - we pick out cars, we determine routes, we plan our social interactions around the fact that it is likely that we will be pulled over by police,” Council Member Isaiah Thomas, who introduced the legislation,  said. “By removing the traffic stops that promote discrimination rather than public safety, City Council has made our streets safer and more equitable.” 

The new rule targets things including expired registration, a single broken tail light or missing inspection or emissions testing certificates. 

Instead, the bill instructs law enforcement to focus on promoting public safety while lessening “negative interactions that widen the divide and perpetuate mistrust.” 

The police department has 120 days to retrain officers. 

Thomas also sponsored a companion piece of legislation that creates a database of traffic violations that will track driver and officer information to demonstrate how widespread and deep the problem runs. 

“Data and lived experiences showed us the problem and data will be key to making sure this is done right,” he said. “Data will tell us if we should end more traffic stops or amend how this is enforced. Data will also tell other cities that Philadelphia is leading on this civil rights issue and it can be replicated.”