A bill in the Connecticut legislature would prohibit police from stopping vehicles for secondary traffic violations – things like burned-out taillights, tinted windows and other equipment issues.
Advocates say low-level traffic stops disproportionately affect Black and brown drivers. They say the bill will help reduce racial disparities.
The Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing Wednesday at 10 a.m. regarding the bill, as well as other legislative matters.
Luis Delgado plans to testify. He said he’s been subjected to secondary traffic stops. He says they were prompted by his appearance and ethnicity.
“I’m a person of color, Puerto Rican,” he said. “And after the stop itself, you know there is anxiety that has come with that for years. That’s the environment that’s been created by a lot of these unnecessary stops.”
Gus Marks-Hamilton is a campaign manager with the ACLU Connecticut’s Smart Justice Campaign.
“The Center for Policing Equity, which is based in New York City, will be coming here to Hartford to testify and support the bill, as well as other organizations and advocacy groups in the state,” he said.
Hamilton says the bill intends to diminish detrimental interactions, uphold individual rights, and foster accountability in law enforcement.
Last year, the state Senate approved a similar bill, but it didn't move forward in the House.
