Aiming to avoid unnecessary traffic stops, St. Paul cops offer taillight vouchers
Traffic stops can be fraught, to say the least.
Since 2017, at least 800 people in the U.S. have been killed in interactions that began with a traffic stop, according to a Justice Innovation Lab report.
St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry says he sometimes gets nervous driving off-duty. He has lines rehearsed in case of a traffic stop. He keeps hands on the wheel and defers to the officer who stopped him: “I’m an off-duty officer. I have a firearm on my right hip. What would you like me to do?”
“You never know why an officer may have stopped you,” Henry said. “A vehicle could potentially match the description of a nearby robbery and an officer may be unsure of what to expect in the car.”
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Henry is white, but research shows Black drivers are disproportionately stopped by police for minor infractions, such as a burned-out taillight or expired tags.
The St. Paul Police Department and the Lights On! program hosted “Project Self Stop” on Saturday at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, an event where motorists could experience a stress-free traffic stop and get vouchers for free taillight repairs if needed. A voucher covers up to $250 of the cost to fix a headlight, taillight, brake light or turn signal at a participating auto repair shop.
Lights On! started in response to the 2016 killing of Philando Castile, who was fatally shot by then St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez during a traffic stop. It aims to prevent a traffic stop from becoming a destabilizing event, whether due to escalation by police or mounting financial costs.
“It’s not the be-all solution, but it’s a part of the solution. A part of the healing process. A part of the public safety issue,” said Sherman Patterson, Lights On! vice president.
In 2021, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi announced his office would end felony prosecutions stemmed solely from low-level traffic stops. The changes haven’t had a negative impact on public safety, Choi said at a news conference earlier this year.
Henry said he wants St. Paul police officers to stop drivers for bad behavior, not bad equipment.
“We’re gonna focus on things that are decision making: speeding, not signaling, you know, driving recklessly, those kinds of things,” he said. “Those are choices. Your equipment … you don't have the choice about, or maybe it’s financial.”
The changes have not had a negative impact on public safety, according to local researchers.
At the “Project Self Stop” event on Saturday, about 20 officers greeted drivers at parking lot south of the Minnesota State Fair. Officers simulated a stress-free traffic stop,
Henry reminded drivers all traffic stops are recorded with body cameras, and they should expect to receive a card with the name of the St. Paul police officer who stopped them. Drivers can use that to file complaints or ask follow-up questions.
