FAIRFAX, Va. — After a series of recent escalated and sometimes violent traffic stops across the county, a local police department in the D.C. area is taking steps to find solutions.
The City of Fairfax Police Department purchased hundreds of vehicle identification pouches to hand out to drivers as a proactive approach to making sure traffic stops go as smooth as possible.
The Fairfax City pouch was made by the same folks who made the ‘Not Reaching’ pouch.
It is described as a bag that holds a person’s driver’s license, registration and insurance which clips onto the driver’s side air vent.
“It doesn’t have to be the solution to the problem. But I think if we get enough a solution to the problem, then we’re going to be a lot better off than where we are now,” Captain Ronnie Lewis, who heads the patrol operations division said.
The City of Fairfax Police Department began partnering with the Alliance for Safe Traffic Stops after all the protests in 2020 calling for changes in policing across the country.
“Our main focus right now in working with the community is to develop solutions to all of the problems that we hear on television and media,” Capt. Lewis told WUSA9.
“They went out on a limb and said 'No. We do understand. We are going to change. We want a better relationship with our community,'” Jaquelyn Carter said.
Carter created the ‘Not Reaching’ pouch at the Alliance for Safe Traffic Stops after Philando Castile was killed during a traffic stop in 2016.
Since then, she has researched and talked to police departments across the country and found reaching for a license or registration was at the center of incidents escalating when drivers are pulled over.
“The reaching and us not knowing where your hands are and if you have to reach for something – having this pouch on the left side, it actually helps us,” Capt. Lewis explained. “We all understand the elephant in the room as far as being African-American in this country. That’s what we’re trying to improve on, and I know we have a long way to go.
Capt. Lewis added that the problems between law enforcement and communities of color are not something that started in recent years but has existed since policing began.
“There are still some things that need to be done as far as training, education, and solutions. So, this is proactive compliance. This is one of those things where we say – you can always say things after the fact. We don’t want to do things after the fact. We want to be proactively compliant. I think it’s an opportunity for both to come together,” Carter said.
The City of Fairfax Police Department has 250 pouches in stock with plans to buy more.
If someone interested in getting a pouch, they can go to the police station and ask for one.
The department is hoping to have community events where officers can continue the two-way conversation when it is safe to do so.