State Rep. Larry Miller makes no bones about. His proposal is a direct response to stories of traffic stops turned fatal, often involving African-American drivers.
The Memphis Democrat says police need to behave correctly. But so do motorists.
“We need to change the rules of engagement, in a sense.”
Miller’s idea is a short video — perhaps seven minutes or so — that new drivers would have to watch before being issued a license. He’s proposed a measure, House Bill 1635, that would make it a mandatory part of the driver’s exam.
The video would be developed by the state Department of Safety, says Miller, with outside input. Miller says he’s discussing with safety officials how much such a video would cost, but he says it’d be an improvement on the information the department has put out so far.
“Make it a film that people can relate to. Especially young people.”
Miller believes it’s time to teach people what to do — and what not to do — when they’re pulled over. A video would give drivers a clearer sense of what to expect when a police officer pulls them over, Miller says. He also hopes the video will impart simple advice — like be polite and keep your hands within the officer’s plain sight.
Miller says, when asked, that he’d be willing to include information on how to lodge a complaint if a driver feels mistreated by an officer.
His goal is to reduce the chances that a stop escalates into a potentially lethal confrontation. That, Miller says, means training drivers, as well as police.
“Our law enforcement officers are trained. They go through an academy,” he says. “But you don’t have a system where … the average citizen goes through an academy.”
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