Proposal would prevent Pittsburgh police from pulling over drivers for minor, secondary violations

Pittsburgh police would no longer be allowed to pull over drivers for secondary violations such as headlights or brake lights being burned out or license plates being improperly displayed, under legislation introduced Monday.

The measure is meant to make traffic stops more “equitable and fair,” according to the legislation sponsored by City Councilman Ricky Burgess.

Burgess said the legislation aims to reduce the number of traffic stops, which he said are “more frequent in African American communities.”

Pittsburgh Police data show that officers conducted 4,650 traffic stops involving Black motorists in 2020, compared to 4,513 involving white motorists and 120 involving Hispanic or Latino motorists.

“We know those stops have the danger of being escalated in Black communities,” Burgess said. “It can have disastrous consequences for both the officer and the resident.”

Philadelphia has already enacted a similar measure, Burgess said.

Traffic stops are “by far the most common police encounters” with residents, the legislation said, citing a New York Times study. The legislation pointed to a study that found “Black and Hispanic drivers were searched on the basis of less evidence than white drivers.”

The legislation said it aims “to ensure that policing resources are used to protect public safety and not penalize people for being poor, who, in all too many cases, are people of color.”

The measure would require police to have another primary reason to initiate a traffic stop, meaning that someone who is obeying all other traffic laws couldn’t be punished because they couldn’t afford to fix a broken headlight or because they hung a temporary registration on the wrong side of the rear window.

“For these minor, secondary violations where there is no risk of loss of life or any real danger, we’ll forego those being the primary reason for an officer making a traffic stop,” Burgess said.

Burgess said he hopes the measure would go into effect immediately.

“Public Safety looks forward to closely reviewing the proposed legislation and working with the Rev. Burgess and City Council,” Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said.