Philadelphia Police to Stop Pulling Over Drivers for Low-Level Offenses

By Alyssa Wilson Published: November 1, 2021

Philadelphia Police to Stop Pulling Over Drivers for Low-Level Offenses

In Summary

Drivers in Philadelphia will stop being pulled over for low-level traffic violations under a new bill meant to improve relations between police and the community.

Police in Philadelphia will soon be unable to stop drivers for low-level traffic violations, becoming the first major city in the United States to take a measure of this magnitude.

According to CNN, the Driving Equality Bill passed in the city council with a 14-2 vote. Written by councilmember Isaiah Thomas, the bill categorizes some traffic violations as “primary” and others as “secondary.” The primary violations will result in a driver being pulled over by police, and a secondary violation will not meet the criteria for a lawful stop under the bill.

The bill will take effect in the city 120 days after Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signs the measure into law. Philadelphia is the largest city to take this measure, and it is one that the mayor and police are in agreement on.

Kenney said the Philadelphia police have decided that the relationship between the department and the community “is greater than the likely pay off of getting a bad guy every now and then,” CNN reported.

Violations, including issues with license plate registration, will now be considered secondary. Many hope this will stop Black drivers from being stopped in the city at disproportionate rates.

“We believe this is a fair and balanced approach to addressing racial disparity without compromising public safety,” the police department said. “This modified enforcement model for car stops furthers the Department’s priority of addressing the issue of racial disparity in the Department’s investigative stops and complements the Department’s efforts to address these same issues in pedestrian stops.”

Thomas introduced the bill in October 2020 with the goal of addressing the tension between Philadelphia police and members of the community. “I am humbled by every person who told my office of the humiliation and trauma experienced in some of these traffic stops,” Thomas said. “Too 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 is likely that we will be pulled over by the police.”