Police traffic stops are the most common form of interaction between people and police, and, because of systemic racism in policing, they are particularly dangerous for Black people. In fact, in Connecticut, Black drivers are almost twice more likely and Latinx drivers are 1.5 times more likely to be stopped for equipment-related violations compared to white drivers. Black drivers are also 1.2 times more likely and Latinx drivers are 1.3 times more likely to be stopped for administrative purposes compared to white drivers. We must work to reduce the number of dangerous and unnecessary traffic stops conducted by police in Connecticut that disproportionately harm people of color.
H.B. 5324, An Act Establishing Secondary Traffic Violations, would help to end low-level traffic stops in the state for violations that do not impact public safety but do increase racial disparities in policing.
*Secondary traffic stops are defined as police stopping drivers for things that are unrelated to whether someone is driving safely or whether their car is safe to drive, and are instead only related to administrative or equipment violations that don't affect safety. We’re calling upon the Connecticut General Assembly to introduce and pass legislation to end secondary traffic stops in Connecticut to cut this problem off at its root while honoring the anti-racist goals of the Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Prohibition Act.
