The following statement is from Dignity and Power Now in response to the news that the Los Angeles Police Department is pulling over Black drivers at disproportionately high rates.

“Over policing has always harmed public safety, including the reality that it can allow an already unnecessary interaction with a community member to escalate to harm and death. The LAPD, unfortunately, has a well-documented legacy of such tragedies. While some may think traffic stops are innocuous, they are often the point of contact between law enforcement and community that leads to instances of abuse and loss of life. In addition, some fail to realize the real economic consequences that lead to thousands of dollars taken out of family’s homes to pay for the consequences of unnecessary traffic stops. Black drivers in LA and Black folks in LA, in general, do not have a healthy relationship with the LAPD, and the LAPD does not have a history where they can brush this news off, or make any reductive excuses.”