Yahoo Autos Memphis Proposes Bill to Limit Traffic Stops for Minor Violations
In the face of the brutal killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis police officers in January, city officials are looking to make meaningful changes in the way officers interact with the public, specifically Black people. Bloomberg reports that Memphis city officials have proposed a bill that would stop police from performing traffic stops for certain minor violations.
The bill highlights a grim reality for Black drivers across the country. Multiple studies have revealed data that shows that Black people are disproportionately targeted and stopped by police. Often, these stops have little to do with public and traffic safety and more to do with being an attempt by police to try to find out if the driver has committed another crime.
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Under the proposed bill, Memphis would reclassify six traffic violations to secondary status. These include violations for things like expired vehicle registration, broken tail lights, and missing emission documents. While the secondary classification of these violations doesn’t mean police can’t still issue a citation for them, it would mean police would no longer be able to use them as reasons for a traffic stop. Another bill being proposed would require the local police department to collect data related to traffic stops for review by city officials.
Memphis city council member Michalyn Easter-Thomas, who proposed the bill, spoke from a place of familiarity when explaining why the bill is needed.
