Being pulled over for expired tags now is just police being jerks

[Sympthsical]

What I haven't seen mentioned much in all of the coverage of the Daunte Wright killing is just how shitty it is to pull people over for expired tags. Due to Covid 19, there is a massive backlog at DMVs for getting tags replaced. People have been going around for months without proper tags due to cancelled, delayed, or unavailable appointments.

The police are most certainly aware of this.

Nice excuse for a "driving while black" stop, but even more malicious considering current DMV conditions in many states.

[Solomon]

1. It's worse than that. In a lot of states, I believe Minnesota may be included, the governor's have

the extended the time to get tags and registrations renewed. And the cops know that.

[dflprincess]

17. Minnesota didn't extend the time for tags

As those can be renewed by mail or online. Mine come due the end of April & I've ordered online the last two years. It's taken about 10 days to get them.

However, new registrations have been taking longer & you can get the temp tag extended.

[thucythucy]

21. Then again there's the "digital divide"

which, like pretty much every other form of inequality in our society, is disproportionately adverse to African Americans.

Add to that the fact that the USPS has been and is being gutted as part of the GOP war on America. I used to get something in the mail every day, now I get large batches every second or third or sometimes even fourth day, which is a new development as of this fall.

I don't know if either of these was a factor here, but they are worth noting.

[elleng]

2. Sure as hell is.

and do the 'bluster,' show hands, get out of car, etc.

[Ocelot II]

3. That used to happen to me almost like clockwork every year

because I'd always forget to get them renewed. But, since I am an old white lady, what would happen was that I'd get pulled over and the cop would say something like, "Ma'am, are you aware that your license tags are expired?" And I'd apologize and say I forgot but I'd take care of it right away, and that was the end of it. Never got a ticket, let alone tased or shot; just a friendly warning.

[dflprincess]

14. I sometimes think suburban cops obsess more over tags

One of my nieces (young, white woman) has been ticketed twice for expired tags. One of my friends was parked in front of her mom's saw a cop looking at her car, realized her new tags were in her purse and went running out with them, still got the ticket. Her tags had been expired about 12 hours. These incidents all happened in sourth suburbs.

[Xipe Totec]

4. I see my white privilege in this and it makes me want to wretch

I've been pulled over for an illegal left turn.

The cop shakes his head, gives me a stern warning, and lets me go on my way.

I've been pulled over for speeding on a residential area, 15 miles over the speed limit. Same result.

I've been pulled over for speeding on a school zone, 15 miles over, etc.

I've been pulled over for driving 95 mph, on a 55 mph zone. 40 miles over the speed limit, In New Hampshire, which by law requires immediate arrest and jail.

Instead, the cop shaved 10 miles off from the report. A stiff fine, to be sure, and my insurance said 'hello!', but I was allowed to drive away with my passengers and continue my vacation trip.

Any of these encounters could have ended up with me dead, bleeding on the pavement, if I were black.

And it makes me sick to my stomach to think about it.

[gldstwmn]

5. I saw a car a few days ago with a temp tag

that expired in January.

[uponit7771]

6. THANK YOU !!!, it took me 9 months to get tags !!!

[a kennedy]

7. There was a warrant for his arrest......Daunte Wright didn't appear I court.....

“Just learned that the warrant out for Wright's arrest was for failure to appear in court

For illegally possessing a firearm with out a permit and fleeing from police in the past. The initial reason was for an expired registration.”

This was posted on another DU thread.

[dflprincess]

12. It was a misdemeanor charge

And it's now being reported that he missed his court date because the Zoom link was sent to the wrong address.

[a kennedy]

8. Info on why the cops stopped him........

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15328288

[sop]

9. I've had it with the cops' cult of compliance.

Failure to comply is a capital offense in copland. They believe anyone who doesn't immediately comply can be killed or brutalized with impunity. As defense apologists will argue, "if the suspect had just complied, he would still be alive." I don't give a fuck whether it's a lawful order, or not. Not following police instructions in situations where the alleged crime is a misdemeanor cannot be legal grounds for execution.

[triron]

15. Too many cops are 'legalized' paid thugs. I've had a few bad encounters and I'm white!

The worst was when I was out running! I was a distance runner.

[thucythucy]

22. Not to mention situations when "compliance" can be difficult.

The Deaf community runs into this all the time. Cop stops a Deaf person for whatever reason, gives them an order which they don't hear. "Put your hands on the steering wheel." Deaf person tries to sign and bam! Cop escalates and there is now "a situation."

Add race--Black and Deaf--and it then has the greatly increased potential to become violent--on the part of the cops.

[ecstatic]

10. Exactly. nt

[Hoyt]

11. Agree. This could have been handled by mail. No need to stop him.

I do think the officer made a horrible “error,” should be fired, investigated for whether she was fit for duty, and likely tried. The leaders who allowed this type of traffic stop and maybe even the “error,” should be canned too.

[Renew Deal]

13. Is it expired tags the same thing as expired registration?

If so, it’s perfectly legitimate to pull people over for that. It’s not the same as pulling people over for broken license plate lights.

[WarGamer]

16. Or tinted windows or lack of mudflaps or aftermarket muffler.

[Ziggysmom]

18. I was pulled over in Wisconsin for a missing front license plate.

The frame and bolts rusted and rotted off my 20 year old Ford Aerostar and I hadn’t noticed. The cop laughed and gave me a warning; said good luck finding some secure metal where I could bolt on a new plate. I drove old Betsy another 2 years. I sure miss the old girl.

[joetheman]

19. No reason to pull folks over. I had to make an appointment to meet with our DMV and it was

made in advance of my expiration date and I couldn't get an appointment until three weeks after the expiration. I carry the appointment confirmation in the car in case I am stopped. The backlog is tremendous. I don't have tickets but since my spouse dies I need to change the registration...they sent me a letter.

[Traildogbob]

20. White and alive

Traded my truck in about a month ago. Through Covid hell and no notification from DMV, the dealer alerted me my tag had expired 7 months ago. Had to get a temp, then got a real tag. My personal tag “4STR” as a retired Forest educator, had to be re-ordered. Could not use the expired one, why is beyond me. But through all that time, I am white and alive.
Old enough to remember, long hair and a van was a target for red neck police. But we all lived, I think. I phone videos.
This shit needs to end now. Stop suing cities and letting cops get a pension. Take everything they own as well. The tax payers did not do the killing.

[phylny]

23. I was pulled over in Virginia, a little over an hour from where I live,

for expired tags a few years ago. We'd been dealing with my husband's radiation, and the notice came in the mail and went unnoticed. I had no idea. My two dogs were restrained in the back seat and I was terrified the cop was going to shoot one of them because they were barking their heads off. I kept telling him they were restrained. Anyway, there had to be six or seven cars that passed by me SPEEDING before he pulled me over. I mentioned that to him. He wasn't moved by my comment.

[Tracer]

24. I'm a bit confused.

People on this thread keep mentioning "tags". Do you mean license plates or are you talking about an inspection sticker on the plate or another sticker on the windshield?

Here in MA, I've never heard anyone refer to "tags". But a driver can certainly get pulled over for outdated stickers.

[Tommymac]

25. PA Does Not Require Date Stickers on License Plates

All we have to do is renew the registration online, by mail or in person. No physical date stickers required.

I speculate law enforcement has real time access to software that will automatically take a picture of every car it views in a camera aimed at the plates of passing cars (or at victims already pulled over) and then connect to the internet, run those numbers in real time against the online DMV database, and pop up a warning/play an alert on the big computer screen in the squad car - probably takes all of 3 or 4 seconds once connected. Plenty of time if the officer wants to pursue and stop the offender.

Gotta love AI automation.

[kacekwl]

26. Expired lic. Plate stickers is a big $$$$ maker

for municipalities. They should do them the same as red light cameras. Send a ticket in the mail with a link to a site with video/picture and a court date if you request one. Done. Still rake in money no time wasted or people dead.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

27. I got a ticket in the city of Minneapolis for expired tags. I forgot to renew.

I live in Wisconsin and my tags were Wisconsin. So, seemed kind of shitty to pay Minneapolis for my Wisconsin error.