« While this is a step in the right direction, if they [police] want to pull you over, they can just find a different reason, » said former chief Hennepin County public defender Mary Moriarty.
Minneapolis police will no longer stop drivers for minor traffic violations like expired tags, items dangling from a mirror, or not having a working license plate light, the Associated Press reported. Chief Medaria Arradondo said in a Thursday memo the policy change was a move to recognize « the continued importance of examining how we can better utilize time, resources and operational effectiveness. » Teresa Nelson, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, said that this was « a welcome development, » according to the Star Tribune. However, Nelson believes the department can go further « and expand it to all low-level violations that don’t affect public safety. » « I think there’s a growing recognition in Minnesota and around the country that these kind of punitive policies are basically punishing for people for being poor, » Nelson said.
