New bill that would restrict traffic stops already getting push back
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — The DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office is opposing a new law proposal that would prohibit state police from conducting common traffic stops, but the bill’s sponsor said it was just meant to start a conversation.
According to the bill’s summary, police in Illinois would be stripped of the ability to pull over a driver for expired registration, not following the general speed limit, tinted windows, not wearing a seatbelt or improper lane usage. The exception would be in the event that an offense qualifies as a misdemeanor or felony.
Motorists also could not be stopped for violating vehicle lamp requirements, excessive exhaust or defective mirrors, windshields, windshield wipers or bumpers.
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The bill’s sponsor said this bill is only meant to open a dialogue about cutting back on these stops.
“For decades, Illinois has wrestled with the challenge of racial bias in traffic stops, and the disparate outcomes that are too often the result,” Bill sponsor Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) said in a statement. “At no point in this effort has anyone’s goal been to take away the tools police need to keep communities safe, but instead to continue an important conversation. House Bill 4603 continues that conversation. It’s my hope that discussions with law enforcement and advocates can identify minor infractions that on their own do not necessitate a traffic stop.”
This follows a law that went into effect at the start of this year, which prevents law enforcement from conducting traffic stops for objects hanging from rearview mirrors. Supporters of the law viewed the stops as excuses to charge for other violations, allowing for more discriminatory practices in making an arrest.
In a social media post posted on Tuesday — only a day after the new bill was filed — the DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office encouraged those who oppose it to contact their state representatives.
“When these things come out, I want the people with my county, the people who vote for me and expect me to keep them safe, to know that I do not support this,” DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker said.
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There is also a provision of the law that would make any evidence of other crimes found while conducting stops for the listed offenses inadmissible in court.
Walker said that is a totally seperate discussion to have, instead of banning these kinds of traffic stops altogether.
“Unless something is in plain view, a lot of times, we don’t have the right to take it to the next level to search unless we get consent,” Walker said.
The new proposal has not been put up for a vote, and Slaughter intends to have more conversations around the proposal.
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