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In the US, there is an arrest every three seconds, greatly exasperating our mass incarceration problem. Many arrests occur after a minor traffic violation is used as an excuse to look for evidence of a greater crime.

Sandra Bland was pulled over because a police officer said she failed to signal a turn. Philando Castile was stopped for an allegedly malfunctioning brake light. Daunte Wright was driving a car with an expired registration tag. Bland, Castile, and Wright were ultimately killed by the police. Police action should make people safer, but none of these stops were in the interest of public safety.

Non-public safety stops pointlessly put citizens at risk. In 2012 only 2% of frisks in New York resulted in the discovery of a weapon, for instance. Fortunately, DA’s from around the country are working to eliminate the harms from such stops. Recently, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi announced a new policy, deciding not to prosecute cases that are filed as a result of a non-public safety stop. Now in Ramsey County, when an officer pulls over a driver for a minor traffic or equipment violation and uses the stop as a pretext to look for more serious charges, the DA’s office won’t press charges. We applaud these changes and hope that more is done to limit unnecessary contact with police.

We would like to thank Vera Institute of Justice for the content. Click HERE to view the original comprehensive article.