Starting January 1, 2024, millions of drivers in California will no longer be approached by police officers with the typical question: “Do you know why I stopped you?”. This practice, known as “pretextual” stops, allowed officers to stop someone for a minor infraction with the intent of searching for evidence of a more serious crime.
The solution comes with AB 2773, which prohibits officers from initiating interactions with this specific question. Instead, must indicate the reason for the traffic or pedestrian stop before asking any other questionsunless there is an imminent threat to life or property, as stated in the official text.
The goal of this measure is to reduce these types of practices, addressing concerns about fairness and escalation of situations during interactions between police and civilians. The legislation seeks to de-escalate these situations and promote equity and accountability in communities.
Changes in Police protocols in California
Promoted by Assemblyman Chris Holden, The law also establishes significant requirements to improve transparency. Officers must now document the reason for the stop in any citation or police report. Additionally, the Department of Motor Vehicles must include information about a person's civil rights during a stop in the California Driver's Manual.
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The regulations also require state and local law enforcement agencies to annually report detailed data on all stops made by your officers to the Attorney General. This data will include information about the time, date and location of the stop, the reason for the stop, the outcome of the stop, and certain demographic data of the stopped person, among other details.
This legislative change, which seeks to increase transparency and accountability in police interactions with the public, expected to contribute to the reduction of racial discrimination and other forms of biased policing practices. Local agencies will need to adapt their procedures and training to meet the new requirements, marking a significant milestone on the path toward more fair and equitable law enforcement in California.
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