Pretextual Traffic Stops and Crime
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At issue in this argument is the question of pretextual traffic stops, often used by law enforcement as a method to initiate a stop and search of automobiles suspected to involve criminal activity (Meeks 7). For purposes of clarity, this paper will define a pretextual traffic stop as an act involving a police officer stopping a driver for a traffic violation, minor or otherwise, to allow the officer to then investigate a separate and unrelated, suspected criminal offense. Becton (1987) argued that pretextual traffic stops allow police officers wide discretion in whom they choose to stop, and for what reasons they use to justify the traffic stop. "By law, police officers must observe a legitimate traffic violation in order to stop an automobile. Police officers, however, have come under fire from individuals who charge that police officers stop their automobiles based on race rather than any supposed traffic violation." (Becton 844).Evidence of this charge was largely anecdotal, with police officers around the nation denying that they use the passengers' race as a determining factor in stopping an automobile, countering the charges with claims that they had legitimate reasons for stopping the automobile. Until the publication of Meeks' study, the issue was largely in the domain of ad hoc charges, that, for the most part, were upheld by courts, with the general finding being that pretextual traffic stops are an effective tool to find and confiscate
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helps reduce crime. In addition, the IACP believes that traffic enforcement should be performed in an unbiased and professional fashion. No law enforcement executive should use or condone racial or socio-economic guidelines as grounds for pulling a motorist over. To stop and search an individual simply because of his race, gender or economic level is unlawful as well as unconstitutional, and should not be tolerated in any police organization.
That is a clear statement of the problem at hand, and is a tacit admission that the problem has existed, and continues to exist. In a curious twist (worthy of Congress), the IACP concludes on a different tone.
However, the IACP opposes legislation that calls on law enforcement agencies to collect and report on the race or ethnicity of drivers who are pulled over for traffic violations. The IACP believes that collection of this data will serve to discourage law enforcement officers from making legitimate traffic stops for fear of action being taken against them or their department.
The suggestion by the IACP that the officers might fear redress suggests that citing " traffic violation as a pretext to eventually search an automobile that an officer suspects is involved in illegal act
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1703
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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