[ad_1]
The Ann Arbor City Council met at Larcom City Hall Thursday evening to officially vote on the driving equality ordinance and amend an existing ordinance allowing residents to leave household objects on the curb for donation purposes. The driving equality ordinance, originally proposed on June 23, prohibits police officers from conducting traffic stops for minor traffic violations including tinted windows, loud exhaust and non-functional taillights.
Stefani Carter, chair of the Independent Community Police Oversight Commission, began the meeting by commemorating the death of Philando Castile, a Black man shot and killed by police in Minnesota during a traffic stop. Castile’s death sparked national outrage urging policy makers to address racial profiling within policing.
Carter said the ICPOC is hosting a public forum on Sept. 26 to discuss research done by EMU-based Southeast Michigan Criminal Justice Policy Research Project analyzing traffic stop data from the Ann Arbor Police Department. The study found that multiracial male drivers are the most likely to be pulled over for equipment violations, followed by African American men and multiracial women.
“Across the country, folks like us are willing to do away with unnecessary contacts between the police and the public,” Carter said. “Without sacrificing the public safety of those who live in Ann Arbor, and those who work in the city of Ann Arbor and come from other places, I urge you to adopt the driving equality ordinance.”
During the public comments section, U-M alum Shihab Jackson stated that pretextual traffic stops, or traffic stops that are originally for insignificant violations and lead to further investigation, can have long-term consequences.
“Pretext stops often lead to resisting arrest, fleeing and other issues that have nothing to do with keeping the public safe,” Jackson said.
Paul Fleming, Public Health assistant professor, stated the ordinance aligns with the American Public Health Association’s view that encounters with law enforcement impact public health.
“I and many of my colleagues at School of Public Health are members of this association,” Fleming said. “In their policy statement the organization urges municipal governments to quote advance equity and justice by decriminalizing and eliminating officer enforcement of regulations such as minor traffic violations, including expired registration.”
In response to the public remarks, Councilmember Chris Watson, D-Ward 2, said his personal experience has informed his understanding of the burden of unnecessary traffic stops on people of Color.
“A few years ago when I heard a pop after backing into a pole in a parking lot my first thought was not about confirming the type of damage that occurred but rather a silent prayer that I had not cracked my tail light because I immediately feared the potential of being stopped for it later that night,” Watson said. “This is the kind of mental weight the specter of these stops causes in Black and brown communities.”
City Administrator Milton Dohoney elaborated on how the new ordinance will be enforced among police officers. Dohoney said although official enforcement plans are not yet in place, the Ann Arbor Police Department will be responsible for enacting a plan in response to the ordinance.
“Accountability measures would have to be written into general orders of the police department and procedures around if the ordinance is violated then what happens.” Dohoney said. “That’s not something that’s been worked out in advance, but that would be the next procedural step that we would do at staff level once the ordinance is actually law.”
Councilmember Cynthia Harrison, D-Ward 1, said she believes passing the ordinance is a positive step forward and demonstrates Ann Arbor’s commitment to equity.
“We are prepared to do what is right to lessen the burden on those who have been disproportionately affected and to ensure that every interaction between our police and the public is rooted in respect and understanding,” Harrison said. “Our decisions today will echo far into the future shaping an Ann Arbor that is safer and more equitable to all of our residents.”
The ordinance was approved unanimously.
The council then amended an ordinance to allow the curbside placement of household items in good condition for the purpose of reuse or donation. The goal of the ordinance is to promote A2ZERO’s goals for waste reduction.
The amendment was approved unanimously.
Daily Staff Reporter Maleny Crespo can be reached at mcrespo@umich.edu.
Related articles
[ad_2]
Source link
