- The City of East Lansing is making changes to how police conduct traffic stops in the neighborhood
- Council members voted 4-1 in favor of adopting Ordinance 1541
- Video shows council members on opposing sides explaining the ordinance's functions and why they voted
The East Lansing City Council voted to make changes this week to how police initiate traffic stops in the neighborhood.
The council voted 4-1 to adopt Ordinance 1541 at its meeting Tuesday night. The ordinance clarifies the ways in which officers cannot conduct traffic stops.
Those include stopping a vehicle that has a cracked or chipped windshield, tinted windows, objects hanging from a mirror, etc.
Council member Dana Watson voted in favor for the ordinance. (ADD MORE CONTEXT AFTER THE INTERVIEW!! 6PM
Council member Erik Altman was the only dissenting vote against the ordinance. (ADD MORE CONTEXT AFTER THE INTERVIEW!! 7:30PM)
The ordinance is effective immediately.
East Lansing Police Department offered a statement in the wake of the ordinance's passage:
"With last night's passing of ordinance 1541, ELPD sworn employees will follow the ordinance as voted on by the city council. Our goal is also to make the City of East Lansing a safe and welcoming community to all. "
"We will continue our efforts in making the roadways safe focusing on traffic enforcement in high-traffic crash locations and areas where our community has concerns. I am confident that the outstanding men and women of this department will continue to keep this great community safe."
The portion of the ordinance clarifying how police cannot initiate traffic stops can be read below:
"Sec. 2 – Permitted and Prohibited Traffic Stops
2.1. No law enforcement officer employed by the City of East Lansing Police Department shall stop or detain an operator or occupant of a motor vehicle based solely on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socio-economic status, age, cultural group, or disability.
2.2. Except where an officer reasonably believes, based on articulable facts, that the violation is of a nature or magnitude that poses an immediate risk of harm to person(s) or property, a law enforcement officer employed by the City of East Lansing shall not stop or detain the operator or occupant of a motor vehicle based solely on one of the following offenses:
(a) Cracked or chipped windshield.
(b) Loud exhaust.
(c) Tinted windows.
(d) Object hanging from rearview mirror.
(e) Cracked, broken or burned out tail lamp where at least one tail lamp remains functional and properly illuminated.
(f) Registration plate lighting violations.
(g) Location of registration sticker.
(h) Location of temporary or paper registration plate, so long as it remains clearly visible from the rear of the vehicle."
You can read the entire ordinance here.
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