A free event hosted by St. Paul police this weekend aims to educate drivers about traffic stops, as well as advise and provide assistance with vehicle equipment issues.
St. Paul police will offer steering wheel locks, answer traffic stop questions at free event
Project Self Stop event aims to educate St. Paul residents about traffic stops, vehicle safety.
December 5, 2023 at 9:25PM
The Project Self Stop event, taking place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in a parking lot south of the State Fairgrounds at 1680 Como Av., will gather police and community partners together to answer residents' questions about traffic stops and enforcement. Officials will also give away steering wheel locks for Kia and Hyundai vehicles, and coupons for free services such as taillight replacement.
"We, as a community, have made the decision to focus on driving behavior as opposed to equipment violations. That doesn't mean that there isn't an opportunity to help our community members fix those equipment issues and learn more about how we can work together to make traffic stops, when they do occur, safer for everyone," Police Chief Axel Henry said in a statement. "The best solutions happen when we work together."
The Dec. 9 event comes months after release of a Justice Innovation Lab report that analyzed around 200,000 traffic stops from police departments in St. Paul, Roseville, Maplewood and St. Anthony. The report found that arresting fewer people for minor traffic violations, such as broken taillights, had a positive effect on crime and law enforcement's relationship in their communities.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi's office stopped prosecuting such crimes in 2021 months after Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter killed Daunte Wright during a routine traffic stop.
These Minnesotans are poised to play prominent roles in state and national politics in the coming years.
