The Los Angeles City Council has moved ahead with a plan to restrict police from making pretextual traffic stops over minor vehicle equipment violations, drawing pushback from some local communities, including Korean Americans in Koreatown.
In May, the council sent the recommendation to the Police Commission, saying stops for issues such as broken taillights, covered license plates and objects hanging from rearview mirrors should be limited to cases involving a significant and imminent safety risk. Supporters cited a city audit of 2019-2022 arrest data showing Black and Hispanic residents accounted for 78% of arrests despite making up 56% of the population.
The LAPD said the numbers should be viewed alongside other statistics. In a formal statement, the department said Black residents make up 8% of Los Angeles’ population but account for 24% of violent-crime victims and 39% of homicide victims. The department also said Black and Hispanic residents combined account for 70% of violent-crime victims and 87% of homicide victims, and that disparities in arrests do not by themselves prove discrimination.
The debate has also raised concerns in Koreatown and other Korean American neighborhoods. Critics say Asian Americans are classified as a minority in city statistics, but the policy discussion has focused largely on Black and brown communities, leaving Korean Americans out of the conversation. Korean American advocates have also pointed to crime-victim data showing the community is vulnerable, according to the article.
