EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The East Lansing City Council approved a new ordinance on Tuesday that prohibits police officers from pulling over drivers for what some view as minor infractions.
The new measure, which passed by a vote of 4-1, seeks to remedy so-called racial disparities. East Lansing police officers are no longer allowed to pull over vehicles that have:
- Cracked or chipped windshield
- Loud exhaust
- Tinted windows
- Object hanging from rearview mirror
- Cracked, broken or burned-out tail lamp where at least one tail lamp remains functional and properly illuminated
- Registration plate lighting violations
- Registration plate violations regarding plate height or attachment
- Location of registration sticker
- Peeling registration sticker
- Location of temporary or paper registration plate, so long as it remains visible from the rear of the vehicle
- Defective equipment
- Other non-safety violations
- Registration tags expired less than 90 days
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The measure, proposed by the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission, claims the above infractions affect people of color the most and argues police pull them over more than other drivers.
East Lansing Police Chief Chad Pride spent a good amount of time answering questions from city council members about the ambiguity in the ordinance, like what constitutes modified exhaust or if a baseball cap hanging from the vehicle impedes vision. He emphasized that a police officer’s job centers around public safety.
“How do we also help people in the case of them being able to get their vehicle fixed to be operable to be on the roadway?” Pride said as he addressed the city council. “I think that’s just another item to look at when it comes to these violations as well,” said Pride.
In addition, the East Lansing City Council unanimously passed the East Lansing Police Department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training proposal at the same meeting. According to the DEI proposal, “The goal of these sessions is to deepen participants’ understanding of the DEI concepts they already possess, introduce new knowledge, and help participants incorporate DEI practices in their daily routines.” The training comes with a $50,000 price tag for taxpayers.
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