Mary Moriarty, Valerie Castile hold community conversation about low-level traffic stops

A discussion regarding non-public safety traffic stops was held in Minneapolis on Wednesday evening.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Valerie Castile, the president and CEO of the Philando Castile Relief Foundation, hosted a community conversation surrounding the controversial topic.

Last week, Moriarty said that starting next month, her office will no longer pursue charges in cases stemming from low-level traffic stops.

RELATED: Hennepin County will no longer prosecute cases arising from low-level traffic stops

She said that instead of pulling drivers over for faulty tail lights or expired tags, the focus should be on behaviors that endanger public safety, like speeding, drunken driving, distracted driving and blowing red lights.

Moriarty announced the new protocol while standing with Valerie, whose son, Philando Castile, was shot during a 2016 traffic stop over a broken taillight.

The announcement caused law enforcement agencies across the county to speak out in opposition of the policy.

RELATED: Hennepin County chiefs, sheriff speak out against new policy on low-level traffic stops

“This policy paints every community with the same broad brush,” Minnetonka Police Chief Mark Boerboom said. “It was made without consultation, without collaboration and without respect for those of us that serve these residents every day.”

Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt also pushed back on what she called a “blanket policy” and said nearly half of the 377 illegal guns confiscated in Hennepin County this year were from traffic stops.

“When we’re talking about wanting to prevent bad things from happening, wanting to prevent further shootings, we need the support to have the tools that we need to get those bad actors out of our communities,” Witt said.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi instituted a similar policy four years ago, something he says was initially controversial but has freed up police resources to investigate serious crimes without any negative impact on public safety.

RELATED: Ramsey County to end felony prosecutions from low-level traffic stops
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