Already Ahead of You There

We've asked for a list of violations of the law that certain non-demonized segments of society are exempt from having to obey. Finally, here's Step #1:

• The Chicago Police Department was urged Monday to rein in so-called “pre-textual” traffic stops that disproportionately target Black and Hispanic motorists and exacerbate distrust by “fishing” without any actual reason to suspect criminal violations.

  [...]

  “Continued racial inequities” in stops and searches mean that compared to white drivers in Chicago, Black drivers were 1.7 times more likely to be stopped, and Hispanic drivers were 2.5 times more likely to be stopped.

You ever see those political polls, where the margin of error is always 3-to-4%? These are less than that and we're still catching heat for it. So how do they propose to fix it?

• To remedy the burgeoning problem, a coalition of community and advocacy organizations known as Free2MoveChicago is proposing a three-point plan based on what police departments in other major cities have done. It calls for:
  

• Following the lead of Los Angeles by banning police stops for traffic violations when the “primary intention” of that stop is to “fish for other signs of criminal activity.” Amy Thompson, staff counsel for Impact for Equity, called “pre-textual” traffic stops the “reincarnation of stop-and-frisk.”
• Prohibiting all police stops for “low-level” traffic violations, such as a recently expired registration or one broken taillight when the other remains lit. Similar bans are in place in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco.
• Requiring Chicago police officers who have pulled a vehicle over for a traffic violation to have an “independent legal basis” to ask the driver to consent to be frisked, or to have their vehicle or belongings searched. 

Point 1 - the vast majority of the Department is already there. Have you been to Traffic Court lately? Fractions of the numbers from even five years ago - camera tickets have replaced that traffic guy with three and four Court Keys. And given the state of the Courts (Crimesha and Evans and Prickwrinkle), arresting anyone is a pointless endeavor as they're home before our shift ends.

Point 2 - the legislature, which deemed these compliance violations as actual lawbreaking, has been supplanted by a committee recommendation that keeping your vehicle in working order is racist. We welcome this step, because next time we get pulled over, WE get to claim that the only reason the police did so was because they're racist against us. We will also save a lot of money in plate/sticker fees. And we'll have substantial evidence of a hostile work environment if an Inspector decides that we need a city sticker and/or a valid plate sticker on our personal vehicle.

Point 3 - again, 90% of the Department only wants the Obama blue card for the TSSSSSSS numbers that make the commander purr with delight when Supernintendo Larritorious rubs their belly. Anything else is a step too far.

No idea who these Free2MoveChicago morons are, but we' guarantee the results they desire will make it an easy choice for more people to be Free2MoveOutOfChicago.