SAN DIEGO — San Diego communities are calling for change when it comes to so-called "pretext stops" by police.
On Wednesday, San Diego's Commission on Police Practices heard directly from San Diegans impacted by these police stops, which disproportionately affect people of color.
At the meeting, community members shared their own personal, and sometimes emotional experiences of being pulled over by police for minor reasons as a pretext to investigate them for other potential crimes.
"There has to be something that we can do to stop these pretext stops," said Patricia DeArman. "They're ending too many lives!"
DeArman's brother Christopher was pulled over by San Diego Police in January of last year for a broken taillight.
It was a stop that led to an investigation into whether he was transporting drugs, which ultimately escalated into a police shooting in which the 37-year-old lost his life.
"These are prejudiced actions that the police are taking against us because they are pre-judging our people based on what they look like, what they're dressed like, where they're at, what kind of truck they're in," DeArman told the commission's members.
Commission member Duane Bennett shared his story of being pulled over in another jurisdiction on a pretext stop.
"The only thing that kept me alive that night," He said. "There was a still, small voice inside of me that said, Don't move, don't say a word, be quiet, do not resist, because you will die tonight."
"There is no question that pre-text stops are institutionalized racism, and that is what we are talking about here," said another audience member.
"It is about public safety," said Gloria Tran, the chair of San Diego's Commission on Police Practices.
On Wednesday night, they took the first steps in examining the San Diego Police Department's policy on pretext stops, with the ultimate goal of coming up with a set of recommendations to improve trust.
"It's far more prevalent in communities of color than it is for people who are white," Tram told CBS 8. "It builds a mistrust with the police."
"It is clear that we have a lot of work to do, and we have a long way to go," said Police Chief Scott Wahl, who attended Wednesday's meeting.
Wahl added he is committed to restoring that trust.
"I will acknowledge the disparities exist," he said. "What is important is that none of us are happy about them, and so we need to work together to have a more community-supported policing approach."
Tran is hopeful this will lead to more trust in the community.
"And that's the bottom line," she added, "because if the community trusts the police, and the police trust the community, that's going to be a better relationship for everyone, and it will make for an even better San Diego.
Once the Commission on Police Practices has completed its recommendations, San Diego Police have 60 days to respond. San Diego's police chief has the final say on any changes to department policy.
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