Sign the petition to Congress: Ban pretextual traffic stops
Tyre Nichols deserves to be alive, but because of a pretextual traffic stop, he is no longer here with us today.
During a pretext stop, officers pull motorists over because of minor traffic violations such as no seatbelt, blown tail light or an expired tag, and use that as an excuse to investigate more serious crimes. Research has shown that only a small percentage of these stops actually produce evidence of a serious violation– in other words, these stops are largely ineffective.
Traffic stops are the most common way civilians interact with police, and for some, the encounters have been deadly. According to Mapping Police Violence, 120 people were killed nationwide during routine traffic stops in 2020 alone.
Minneapolis Police Department data shows that Black drivers are disproportionately searched during pretextual stops - and far more likely to be arrested than white drivers who are searched. Pretext stops are currently legal and are often used in high-crime areas
Many localities like Oakland, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. have fought to limit the types of infractions that police can use to pull over motorists and what can transpire during these interactions.
We need federal legislation that would replicate the efforts of these municipalities, reducing the number of interactions between the police and the public if only a minor traffic violation was committed. It’s time for Congress to act.
Tyre Nichols joins a list that no one wants to be a part of: people who were killed unjustly by the police. We have to continue to say their name, until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Sign the petition and demand that Congress ban pretextual stops once and for all.
Participating Organizations
Daily Kos
Democratic Values PAC
Rashida Tlaib for Congress
During a pretext stop, officers pull motorists over because of minor traffic violations such as no seatbelt, blown tail light or an expired tag, and use that as an excuse to investigate more serious crimes. Research has shown that only a small percentage of these stops actually produce evidence of a serious violation– in other words, these stops are largely ineffective.
Traffic stops are the most common way civilians interact with police, and for some, the encounters have been deadly. According to Mapping Police Violence, 120 people were killed nationwide during routine traffic stops in 2020 alone.
Minneapolis Police Department data shows that Black drivers are disproportionately searched during pretextual stops - and far more likely to be arrested than white drivers who are searched. Pretext stops are currently legal and are often used in high-crime areas
Many localities like Oakland, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. have fought to limit the types of infractions that police can use to pull over motorists and what can transpire during these interactions.
We need federal legislation that would replicate the efforts of these municipalities, reducing the number of interactions between the police and the public if only a minor traffic violation was committed. It’s time for Congress to act.
Tyre Nichols joins a list that no one wants to be a part of: people who were killed unjustly by the police. We have to continue to say their name, until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Sign the petition and demand that Congress ban pretextual stops once and for all.
Participating Organizations
Daily Kos
Democratic Values PAC
Rashida Tlaib for Congress
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