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Philadelphia Bans Cops from Stopping Drivers for Low-Level Traffic Violations

HeadlineNov 01, 2021

Philadelphia has become the first major U.S. city to ban police from stopping cars for low-level traffic violations in an effort to reduce dangerous interactions between racist police officers and motorists of color. Police data from 2018 and 2019 showed Black drivers represent 72% of traffic stops in Philadelphia, even though Black residents only make up 42% of the city’s population.

A recent study by The New York Times found police officers across the U.S. have killed over 400 drivers or passengers who were not armed with a deadly weapon in the past five years. Only five of those officers have been convicted of crimes.

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