The city of Los Angeles, California is reportedly testing out a new method of traffic enforcement that will replace armed police officers with speed bumps and unarmed civilians. The unconventional method, approved unanimously by the city council last week, is part of Los Angeles’ broader effort to reform community policing, limit punishment for “low-level” offenses, and eliminate policies that disproportionately affect minority communities.
As the LA Times reported, the push to remove police officers from traffic enforcement roles in Los Angeles began in 2020 during the “racial reckoning” that followed the death of George Floyd. At the time, reform activists claimed that racial disparities in traffic stops and arrests had “alienated generations of Black and brown Angelenos,” leading many to envision “a future in which unarmed city workers would take over most traffic duties.”
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted 13-0 to begin testing this proposal, ordering transport staff to conduct a 90-day study into the feasibility of the suggested measures. During the test period, city employees will compile reports on the cost and logistics of “creating unarmed civilian teams to respond to certain traffic issues and investigate accidents; limiting fines in poorer communities; and ending the use of stops for minor infractions such as having expired tags or air fresheners hanging from the rear-view mirror.”
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At the time, Council Member Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who championed the proposal, said “I think the city of Los Angeles can lead the nation” in such law enforcement reforms. Other council members saw the proposed policies as a win for law enforcement, as replacing police with civilian workers would free up officers to respond to more serious issues.
According to the Times, the decision was met with cautious optimism from the Push L.A. coalition—which includes the Community Coalition, Catalyst California, and Black Lives Matter Los Angeles—which gathered outside city hall to celebrate the vote and “let the council know that we’re watching.”
“From our perspective, having another feasibility study is not necessary; there’s numerous cities around the country that have already adopted a variety of these reforms,” remarked Chauncee Smith of Catalyst California. “We’re focusing on changing the conditions, as opposed to punishing a person for something that they did or did not do.”
Data from the Los Angeles Police Department reveals that the city’s streets have become some of the deadliest in the country, with recorded traffic deaths hitting an all-time high of 336 last year. More than half of those were pedestrians hit by speeding cars.
Between 2021 and 2022, police wrote 28 percent fewer citations to speeding drivers, claiming that understaffing prevented them from stopping every offender.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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