With attention to racial profiling in traffic stops by police in Ann Arbor, there’s a renewed call to action by those personally affected.
Following a 2023 report revealing Black people are disproportionately pulled over in Ann Arbor than other population groups, the city took steps to get police to cut back on traffic stops, specifically equipment violations.
But the numbers remained high until this August when there was a drop for all equipment violation related traffic stops.
When President of the Ann Arbor NAACP chapter, Andre' Watson, was recently pulled over for “hugging the line,” it got him to thinking.
“When it happened to me, I couldn't help but wonder, 'What if it were just a regular citizen floating through who did not have access to the network that I do have access to?'"
Watson says when he was pulled over by police he was blindsided and couldn't believe it was happening. He says the experience was traumatic.
"And I was just thinking, like, wow — and there were two officers — I became nervous because there's a thing, every African-American can tell you that there's nervousness that happens. Non-voluntary, it's really almost a syndrome. It really, really is. And some people can self-regulate better than others, but it's a real thing."
Watson says the experience compelled him to champion for the most vulnerable in society. He applauds the city's efforts to address the issue of inequity with the 2023 ordinance and through the hiring of leaders like Ann Arbor Police Chief Andre Anderson.
Watson says real change will come about when communities and politicians place value on solutions to ending racial discrimination.
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