APR 26, 1:01 PM

Should D.C. Police Stop Enforcing Traffic Laws? One Proposal Would Give The Job To DDOT

Jordan Pascale https://twitter.com/jwpascale

If you run a red light or drive too fast, you might see the flashing lights of a police car in your rearview mirror.

But as cities and states across the country grapple with ongoing and increasingly public incidents of violent police interactions — largely impacting Black, Latino, and other minority communities — some activists and lawmakers are starting to ask whether police should even be responsible for those types of traffic stops.

That’s now the case in D.C., where the Police Reform Commission created in the wake of last summer’s racial justice protests has recommended that traffic enforcement be taken out of the hands of police and be moved to the D.C. Department of Transportation. While some elected officials say there’s merit to the idea, others say there also needs to be a thorough study of the consequences of the change.

The commission, which was established by the D.C. Council, released a report earlier this month with the aim to “improve or find alternatives to policing in the District.”

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