by Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer
Tim Stevens, Chairman and CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project, has seen enough. With so many police shootings and killings of African Americans the result of police pulling over a vehicle for minor violations, Stevens is calling on Pittsburgh Police and surrounding police departments to immediately suspend traffic stops for the following:
Out-of-date tags/plates; Broken tail lights; Partially obscured license plates; Failure to use turn signals; Failure to stop at stop signs; Going through stop lights; Failure to obey “yield” signs; Driving over the speed limit; Failure to slow down in and around construction sites; Passing in a “no passing” zone; Failure to stop at a railroad crossing; Ignoring “No U-Turn” signs; Failure to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, and; Failure to stop for school buses with flashing red lights.
“The Black Political Empowerment Project is suggesting that in lieu of traffic stops that a summons be sent to the driver to appear in traffic court to explain their actions, and for the magistrates to decide the appropriate action, be that dismissal of the case, a fine, or orders for certain time-oriented actions, such as by when a taillight would have to be repaired,” Stevens said at a press conference in the Hill District, April 20.
“In our opinion these recommendations will significantly reduce the opportunities for negative interactions between citizens and police, and in turn, will provide much more time for police officers to investigate violent crime and other types of crime which might very negatively impact our communities,” Stevens continued. “We feel that citizens and police will benefit having many fewer opportunities for interactions which can frequently be quite threatening, dangerous, stressful and emotional for all.”
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said that he had received Stevens’ recommendations and that they are under his review.
Stevens said that Blacks, and Blacks in the Pittsburgh area, have “reached their breaking point” in the ways that some officers treat African Americans. African Americans already feel a certain sense of nervousness when an officer is riding behind a car that a Black person is driving, and Stevens said that oftentimes, an officer will pull over the vehicle for something minor, which has shown to result in something major, like death to the Black person. In the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Heights, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot on April 11 by a White officer with 26 years of experience on the force, following Wright’s vehicle being stopped for an expired car registration.
George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, lost his life after police responded to a report of a counterfeit $20 bill Floyd used at a store. The officer involved, Derek Chauvin, was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on April 20.
Little things are resulting in Blacks dying, and Stevens said his recommendations will go a long way towards stopping unfortunate outcomes in the Pittsburgh area.
“With the background in our hearts and minds of the death of George Floyd which occurred on Memorial Day, May 25, 2020, the Black Political Empowerment Project is calling upon all of our area police departments to fully review and update their use of force policies so as to hopefully avoid tragedies such as the death of Mr. Floyd,” Stevens said. “We realize that the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has already begun this process, but we urge them to make that review even a higher priority.”
About Post Author
