Make Police Accountable for Vehicle Searches

Last updated April 13, 2021. The current status of the bill can be found by clicking here.

SB 1434/HB 600 would require any officer who conducts a motor vehicle search to report in person to a local judge and provide, in writing, the basis for the search and demographic information about the driver – including race, sex and age. It also ensures that the state compiles and publishes the data and makes it available to the public. Racial profiling – using race or ethnicity to determine whether someone is a suspect of a crime – has a long, ugly history in America, and research shows it is still prevalent today. A recent study from Stanford University analyzed nearly a hundred million traffic stops across the United States and found that Black drivers are 20% more likely to get pulled over than white ones. We need clearer reporting here in Tennessee to identify these disparities and hold police accountable for racial profiling. ACLU-TN Position: Support

The Senate Judiciary Committee will take up this bill on Tuesday, April 13 at 2:30 p.m.

TAKE ACTION: Please call members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and ask them to hold police accountable.

Sample Phone Script

Hello, my name is ________________. I am calling to urge you to vote yes on SB 1434, so that demographic data on police vehicle stops is collected and reported. This is an important step to ensure police accountability and end racial profiling. Thank you.

Senate Judiciary Committee Members: