But Philadelphia police data show the number of traffic stops has not notably dropped since the law took effect, though vehicle and pedestrian stops had previously been plummeting for several years.
For example, in January, Philadelphia police made about 10,850 vehicle stops compared to about 8,500 in January 2022 before the law took effect. Vehicle stops had dropped to below 1,000 per month during the height of the pandemic, compared to more than 33,000 in January 2019. Thomas said he isn’t surprised there are month-by-month variations. He said there are limitations to the available data and that he’s working with the police department to collect aggregate figures for a report that he expects to be released next month.
“That’s honestly an area where we haven’t seen a sense of urgency,” he said, “as it relates to purchasing the technology that we need to be able to get that data communicated to us.”said the legislation that’s now a model for Memphis is “near and dear to my heart.” “I know personally what it’s like to be profiled, to be stereotyped, to be pulled over,” he said. “Hopefully we can put the next generation of young people in a position where their first interaction and their introduction to law enforcement is not necessarily one that started with a traffic stop.”and Republicans in Harrisburg have floated legislation that forces cities to choose between safer bike lanes and driving equality laws.