SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Come the New Year, a slew of new laws in California will go into effect. One of them is requiring law enforcement officers to tell drivers why a traffic stop was initiated, instead of them asking them first.
In 2024, California law enforcement will have to tell drivers the reason for pulling them over before questioning you.
Assembly Bill 2773 was passed and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022 and is going into effect on January 1. It looks to put an end to vehicle and pedestrian stops where police use a minor traffic violation to investigate other crimes. It requires an officer to document the stop, meaning drivers will no longer hear: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"
Bill author and Assembly Member Chris Holden, during a hearing in 2022, said he hopes the law promotes equity and accountability in communities across the state.
“I believe that the confrontation between the law enforcement and the public begins because people of color are being asked to surrender their civil rights and they do not even know why they are being stopped. But they are forced to comply,” said Holden.
The law makes an exception for an officer to hold the reason for the stop if it's necessary to protect life or property from imminent threat.
Community Activist Berry Accius says he was recently pulled over by a Davis Police Department officer for allegedly not making a proper stop at a stop sign.
Accius says while this law creates a small dent in civil liberties for civilians, it is far from making a huge ripple effect.
“Tiny steps in the right direction, but what is the direction? Because there are too many gray areas. How am I going to be able to dispute that this officer was pulling me over illegally,” said Accius.
Accius says there's still going to be bias when people are pulled over and there need to be specific laws addressing that concern.
Sacramento area law enforcement agencies have said they have already implemented this law into their academies, telling ABC10:
“The Sacramento Police Department has been training officers and its academy recruits in this manner for many years. We believe in providing great customer service and that is why we have implemented this into our academy and department training," said a spokesperson. "Stating why we are pulled someone over can provide an opportunity to explain the violation, de-escalate a potentially tense situation, and allow us to connect with the community, providing that great customer service."
The California State Sheriff’s Association, during one of the hearings in 2022, called this law strict. Adding it cannot ask a person a question or make a request before releasing the reason for the stop.
