KANSAS CITY, Missouri — A new rule in Missouri took away some of the punishments for traffic violations just a few weeks ago, but now police are sounding the alarm.
“Where do we go as a society if we keep clawing back accountability and don’t stand up and say right is right, wrong is wrong, and if you do wrong, there are consequences for those actions?” asked Chief Adam Dustman of the Independence Police Department.
Dustman is asking the bill’s backer about the worry about what options cities have when they have to enforce traffic tickets.
There is no question that most of us feel scared when we see those lights flashing behind us. What have I done?
That’s the main point of this talk, since that might not be happening anymore.
Part of Senate Bill 754 says, “This act says that no court shall issue an arrest warrant for a person who fails to respond, pay the fine, or show up in court for a traffic violation issued for an infraction.”
“Anything that makes behavior less accountable, in this case breaking the law on traffic, is not going to stop people from breaking the law; if anything, it’s going to encourage them to keep breaking the law,” Dustman said.
Republican State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, who is in charge of this bill, doesn’t agree. He says that people shouldn’t have to go to jail for small crimes anymore.
Dusk man has his own thoughts, though
“My question is whether we are really keeping our streets safe if we keep putting off holding criminals who have a history of breaking the law accountable for the people they harm,” Dustman asked the senator.
Luetkemeyer replied, “I would say that municipal police departments can send cases that they can’t handle to county prosecutors, and municipal courts can do the same.”
Not only are we, but so are the county attorneys. To add more to their plate or think that more can be added to their plate is fantasy in real life, Dustman said.
Across the country, there has been a push to make driving violations less serious, which is similar to what we’re seeing here.
“The Drive to Jail,” a story from the Fines and Services Justice Center, talks about some of the things that happen here in Missouri.
In a message to FOX4, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department said:
“We have and will keep following traffic laws all over our city.” There have been way too many road deaths in this city because people aren’t paying attention, speeding, or wearing seatbelts. Those will still be top goals for law enforcement.
However, Dustman is still worried that putting a hold on someone, which is the only option at this point, is not enough, even after the tickets are given out.