The ACLU of Connecticut along with the Greater Hartford NAACP, the Center for Policing Equity, Smart Justice, and other groups are calling for support for Connecticut House Bill 5324 for Driving Equity.
The bill would prevent officers from stopping cars to enforce secondary traffic violations.
The groups held a news conference and rally outside of the Connecticut State Capitol building on Wednesday morning as a show of support and to call on lawmakers to join them.
State Rep. Steven Stafstrom (D-Bridgeport) said the bill has a public safety benefit.
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“Refocusing and refining law enforcement to be policing our streets for dangerous conduct. We want our police officers focused on pulling over folks who are driving impaired. We want our police officers pulling over folks who are driving recklessly on our highways. We want our police officers pulling over folks who have engaged in criminal conduct," Rep. Stafstrom explained.
The ACLU said secondary stops include minor infractions like expired tags, broken taillights, and illegal tint. They said these secondary stops create a pathway to discriminatory policing and disproportionately effect communities of color and those who are facing poverty.
Luis Mattei Jr., who is the leader of Smart Justice, said there is trauma for some people of color when they are stopped by law enforcement, even if they know the offense was only minor. He said this is due to a history of over-policing, negative relations between the community and police in certain areas, and national stories where traffic stops turned into deaths.
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"HB 5324 is an assurance that I’m more likely to make it home to my family. It’s a guarantee that my window tints won’t cost me my life or my livelihood. HB 5324 comforts me in knowing that I won’t attend any funerals that started with a broken headlight. It mitigates the grievances of Black and brown mothers and inches us closer to our goal,” Mattei said.
Representative Stafstrom said those who oppose the bill said it should not move forward because of a rise in traffic deaths on the roads and a rise in reckless driving.
However, he said, this is more of a reason for the bill to pass so that police can focus on the major issues on the roads.
The groups said they are now looking to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for support.
