[Peace] [Announce] CUCPJ recommendations to stop racial profiling in traffic stops

[John W.]

On Mon, Dec 7, 2015 at 11:51 AM, Brian Dolinar <briandolinar at gmail.com>
wrote:

Folks - CUCPJ will be delivering our recommendations to stop racial
> profiling in Urbana. We'll be delivering to city council tonight, Monday,
> at 7pm. The city building is at 400 S. Vine St. Come out to show your
> support!
>
> BD
>
>
> Preface:
> CU Citizens for Peace and Justice (CUCPJ) applauds the City Council’s
> effort to understand and respond to the traffic stop racial disparities
> documented by both IDOT data and the Traffic Stop Data Task Force’s
> statistical analysis.  The Task Force report’s greatest service to the
> community may be its educational value.
>
> There is much for the City Council, UPD, and community to learn and
> understand. After fifteen months of study, the recommendations of the Task
> Force serve as a starting point for substantive and concrete action.  CUCPJ
> urges the Council to plan how the stated recommendations can be implemented
> and provide a timeline for progress.
>
> Although the Report’s recommendations are helpful and informative, CUCPJ
> believes several observations and meaningful recommendations need more
> attention.  They are included below.  We encourage the Council to make them
> part of its overall discussion of the Task Force report.
>
> CUCPJ Recommendations:
> 1. Reduce annual traffic stop numbers and citation rates.
> Many departments have significantly lower stop numbers and citation rates
> without any detrimental effect to public safety.  Two examples are
> Danville’s 2014 stop number of 808 compared to Urbana’s 4205, and
> Bloomington’s citation rate of 30% compared to Urbana’s 55%.  Intelligently
> lowering these two numbers twenty to thirty percent would reduce the impact
> of racial disparities and improve police/community relations.
>
> 2. Eliminate all searches conducted as part of a traffic stop unless
> there is clear suspicion of a serious crime.
> As part of this process, officers must inform drivers of their right to
> refuse a search and obtain a voluntary signature before conducting a
> consent search.  If the officer conducts a search, a statement explaining
> the reason for the search must be recorded on the traffic ticket.
>
> 3. Eliminate or revise any city ordinances enforced as part of traffic
> stops that no longer serve a viable public safety purpose or appear to be
> racially biased in its enforcement.
> One obvious ordinance is “Operating a Vehicle with Loud System”.  Vol. II,
> Table 16 on page 38 of the Task Force report identifies it as the seventh
> highest charge (452) for African-American drivers. This ordinance is almost
> exclusively used against African-American drivers and appears to be
> culturally and racially biased in its enforcement.
>

Then let's focus on race-neutral enforcement rather than eliminating the
ordinance.  While it may not be life-threatening, overly loud music,
whether played in a home or in a car, is sanity-threatening and a violation
of other people's right to privacy and the "quiet enjoyment" of their
property.  People work nights and sleep days; they have young children who
take naps; etc.  There's also no good public policy reason to ENCOURAGE the
playing of overly loud music.  This loud music is one of my major pet
peeves, and I know I'm not the only one.

John Wason



> 4. Study the totality of the impact and effectiveness of the
> “investigatory stop” as a strategic policing tactic.
> Following Recommendations 1.1 and 2.4, the Council should give direction
> to the UPD to begin the process of collecting these data in a public
> reportable format.  These data are critical for follow-up analysis and
> informed decision-making by future groups appointed by the city council.
>
> 5. Create a new commission to review traffic stop data after it is made
> publicly available.
> In support of Recommendation 2.3, the commission should be composed of a
> city council member, UPD representative, former member of the Traffic Stop
> Task Force, and two members of the Urbana community familiar with the Task
> Force report. They will report to the Council whether progress is being
> made in reducing racial disparities in traffic stops.  The commission may
> also make recommendations to the City Council.
>
> 6. Support Recommendation 3.4 calling for a moratorium on issuing of
> citations for cannabis possession when it is discovered in the course of
> traffic stops.
> Citation for minor possession of cannabis serves little public utility, is
> often racially enforced, and places undue economic hardship on many
> citizens.
>
> --
> Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
> briandolinar.com
>
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