In what is being touted as a first in the nation proposal, the City of Berkeley, Calif., has proposed ending police traffic enforcement. The effects of such a radical shift in policing could be massive.
By Matt Agorist / the free thought project.com
The move comes after claims that police officers all too often escalate minor traffic stops into deadly situations. These claims are well founded.
“Most traffic stops don’t really warrant a police officer,” said Darrell Owens, the co-executive of East Bay for Everyone, a housing and traffic non-profit. He helped pitch the new, one-year plan to Berkeley City Council. According to ABC 7, he says ideally the city would take money away from Berkeley PD to fund a new department.
“A minor traffic violation should not have resulted in the murder of a black or brown body, but at the same time we can also re-examine the nature of punitive law enforcement and broken windows policing that makes traffic enforcement so deadly to begin with.”
The officials who proposed ending police traffic enforcement dispelled any preconceived notions that this would allow dangerous criminals and drunks to rule the roads.
“We don’t want to inhibit apprehending dangerous criminals or drunk drivers. That is not the intent,” said Berkeley City councilmember, Lori Droste.
Though it is a step in the right direction, because government relies on revenue generated from traffic stops to fund itself, this proposal stops short of actually ending the practice of extorting citizens.
Instead, according to the report, Berkeley’s City Council will vote on a proposal to create a Department of Transportation and use employees in that department to make traffic stops instead of Berkeley Police officers.
A step in the right direction? Or more like corporate follies.
Or maybe just another advertisement for “make believe” conjured “corporate powers”.
What Lawful Authority does this corporate (for profit) board called the CITY OF BERKELEY have with regard to the People of the Republic? Does anyone putting on this dog and pony show even know what a Republic is?
It is plain to see that no one involved knows what a warrant is, or gives a damn.
I’ll take it as another advertisement in favor of make-believe corporate powers in a place where People don’t mind being overrun by criminal organizations seeking revenue at their expense.