Traffic Stop Webinar Series

Black and Latinx Chicagoans and Chicago communities have in recent years experienced an enormous and unprecedented escalation in police traffic stops. These stops can result in individual and community-level psychological harm; too often escalate into violence; can result in burdensome fines and fees for drivers; and fail to address the true roots of crime and traffic hazards in Chicago, like systemic disinvestment in communities and infrastructure on the South and West sides.  

The Traffic Stops Webinar Series, co-hosted by BPI and the Free2Move Coalition:

• provides information and insights to educate the audience about the scope and true impacts of the problem with traffic stops,
• creates a forum to discuss solutions for systemic change in the way Chicago engages with traffic safety, and
• introduces (and invites people to join) Free2Move as a coalition working to create a safer, more racially equitable system of traffic safety in Chicago by decreasing police enforcement and investing in racially equitable infrastructure.

The Problem with Traffic Stops in Chicago

• Tuesday, March 7, 2023
• 12:00 PM  1:30 PM

Since 2015, traffic stops have dramatically increased in the city. Those stops often have little connection to traffic safety, but can have harmful consequences for individuals and communities, particularly Black and Latine people. This panel will discuss the pervasiveness as well as the racial and geographic disparities of traffic stops in Chicago. Featured during this webinar will be a presentation on Chicago traffic stop data.

Panelists:

• Jose Almanza, Director of Advocacy & Movement, Equiticity
• Hon. Sharone Mitchell, Public Defender, Office of the Cook County Public Defender
• Pascal Sabino, Freelance Journalist
• Remel Terry, Commissioner, Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability

Moderator:

Tobara Richardson, Deputy Inspector General for Public Safety, City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General

Alternatives to the Current Traffic Safety System

• Tuesday, March 21, 2023
• 12:00 PM  1:30 PM

During this second installment of the two-part series, we will explore potential solutions to the inherent problems in how police use traffic stops. Experts from around the country will discuss the various changes to policies and practices as communities creatively rethink traffic stops. Highlighting the successes and challenges experienced, these panelists will provide insights that can be instructive to Chicago and other places needing to revisit their approach to traffic stops.

Panelists:

• Max Carter-Oberstone, Vice President, San Francisco Police Commission
• Bradley Haywood, Founder of Justice Forward and Chief Public Defender for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, Virginia
• Representative from Brooklyn Center (MN) Community Safety and Violence Prevention Implementation Committee
• Isaiah Thomas, Council Member, Philadelphia City Council

Moderator:

Loren Jones, Staff Counsel, BPI