In Philly, cops will no longer be pulling you over for minor traffic violations

Philadelphia will be the first major U.S. city to bar police officers from stopping drivers for minor traffic violations, thanks to a new Executive Order signed by the mayor. “If we can reduce the interactions that go bad, we think it will create a ripple effect,” says Philadelphia Councilman Isaiah Thomas, who spearheaded the #DrivingEquity efforts. In addition to improving relationships between the police and the community, the benefits are also economic. “It would be more efficient how law enforcement is spending time. We're spending from $10 million to $30 million a year on lawsuits with officer-involved traffic stops.” With the New York Times reporting 400 deaths of unarmed and nonviolent drivers and passengers by police in the past five years, solutions like this will be ones to watch.Nov. 7, 2021