CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A local group of community and advocacy organizations introducing a plan to reduce excessive traffic tops of Black and Hispanic motorists.
Members of the Free2Move coalition are calling on Chicago Police to ban pretextual traffic stops. Members of the coalition spoke at a City Council committee hearing.
A member who did not identify herself stated that "Pre-textual stops are the legal loophole that allows police to stop people for minor reasons to fish for other signs of criminal activity, even when they have no suspicion in the first place."
The coalition also proposed that CPD limits stops for a set of low-level traffic violations, and ends suspicionless consent searches during stops for traffic code violations.
"This policy would prevent fishing by requiring law enforcement to have an independent legal basis to conduct the search of a person, their vehicles and their belongings during a traffic stop and reduce these intrusive searches that are happening during stops."
The proposal is a response to data shows that Black motorists are nearly twice as likely to be stopped than white drivers, while Hispanic drivers are 2.5 times more likely to be stopped.
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