Much of the criticism of the changes in the criminal-justice system has been focused on the decriminalizing of errant behaviors and the lack of serious responses to the gun violence that plagues many urban black neighborhoods. What is largely ignored is the breakdown in lawful behavior in other less life-threatening areas: car and traffic violations, fare-beaters on public transportation, and car and store thefts.
In Chicago between 2015 and 2019, ProPublica found, households in majority-black-and-Hispanic ZIP codes received stoplight tickets at around twice the rate of those in white areas. In Rochester, N.Y., officials eliminated the city’s red-light-camera program in part because motorists from low-income neighborhoods received the most tickets and the financial harm outweighed any safety benefits. Miami ended its program amid complaints from low-income residents who felt unfairly burdened by the fines. Chicago did make one adjustment: It suspended the regulation that, after five violations, drivers’ licenses would no longer be suspended, reinstating 11,000 drivers.
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