免费

Share your stories to shape Chicago police traffic stop policy

Chicago’s traffic stop policy is broken. What once manifested as stop-and-frisk has evolved into an overwhelming surge in violent traffic stops — especially “pretextual” ones.These are stops where drivers are pulled over for a minor infraction like a broken taillight, but the true intent is often an unrelated investigation. The result? Disproportionate stops of Black and Brown drivers, an erosion of public trust and very little connection to actual safety.As a district council member representing the Chicago Police Department’s Englewood District, I’ve spent the last two years listening to residents. The stories they share are not edge cases.They are everyday encounters: a woman pulled over and berated for holding a phone; a young man followed and arrested for carrying a bag labeled “Glock” — and later released with no charges; a driver beaten unconscious during a snowstorm stop; a queer couple forced to de-escalate their own traffic stop just to avoid harm. Related Chicago cops have b…