Police, citizens group to lay out expectations for Charleston traffic stops

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston’s Citizen Police Advisory Council will team up with the city police department to give drivers a look at what to expect if they are stopped by police.

The meeting is set for Thursday night to serve as an overview of traffic stop procedures. They will discuss police procedure and rules for conducting a motor vehicle stop, recent reinforcement changes, and steps the community can take to ensure a traffic stop is safe.

Click here to register for the online meeting.

Advisory council Chairman Paul Tamburrino said the meeting will also focus on the police department’s policies for addressing racial bias during a motor vehicle stop. He said the city’s racial bias audit helped reveal to city leaders racial profiling that had been happening in recent years.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics shows in 2022 the Charleston Police Department performed 13,197 motor vehicle stops. But a recent Charleston Police Department Voluntary Racial Bias audit found minorities are pulled over more often.

“Basically, looking at the disparity in motor vehicle stops and arrests and just different just the volume of interactions was disproportionate for our minority communities verses you know obviously the white community,” Tamburrino said. “And it was also as a result of, you know, George Floyd and the Mother Emanuel [Church shooting].”

Tamburrino said Charleston Police Capt. Jason Bruder will share statistics on the most common motor vehicle stops.

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