Portage County Legal News

Legislation proposes police interaction be included in Ohio driver's education

KEITH ARNOLD
Special to the Legal News
Published: March 18, 2019

A senate plan calls for Ohio high school kids to be taught how to properly manage interactions with police during a standard traffic stop.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Sandra Williams, D-Cleveland, said a program modeled after the Texas Community Safety Education Act would eliminate unnecessary obstruction charges and protect civilians and police alike.

"Senate Bill 16 comes as a direct result of concerns of several law enforcement officers and local groups in the Cleveland area who want to establish positive relationships throughout the community," Williams told fellow senators seated on the Judiciary Committee.

SB 16 would requiring the state Board of Education to develop a model curriculum for high school students on proper interactions with police officers, in addition to requiring the Department of Public Safety to include a section on police interactions in the motor vehicle laws.

The bill also is intended to reinforce the importance of civilian interaction training within law enforcement

"According to data collected by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there were 7,582,556 traffic stops in Ohio between 2013 and 2017," the lawmaker continued. "These stops resulted in numerous charges such as resisting arrest, failure to comply with a lawful order and obstructing official business."

Between 2013 and 2017, law enforcement filed 1,882 separate charges of obstruction of business.

In 2018, alone, the Ohio Department of Public Safety reported 423 charges of obstruction of business.

"At times, these instances have led to unnecessary, deadly outcomes for both law enforcement and civilians," Williams said. "Many members of law enforcement believe that charges such as these can be avoided with increased public awareness on what to do when stopped by law enforcement."

She noted that members of the legislature recently held a moment of silence for fallen police officer Det. William Brewer who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a call from a suicidal individual.

Highland Hills Police Chief Antonio Stitt, who is also a driving instructor, wrote in testimony submitted to the committee that one of the most prevalent questions he is asked by the parents of young drivers is what can they teach their children to do in the event of a traffic stop.

In response, Stitt incorporated an additional module to his driving instruction. The module covered how to proceed when a law enforcement officer approaches the vehicle, makes a request or gives instructions.

The module also included specific details if the officer is perceived as overly aggressive by the driver.

"Since implementing this training model, we immediately noticed a great number of our students were saying and doing things during the mock traffic stop that would red flags or potential danger alerts for law enforcement officers," the police chief said. "What was interesting is the gact that these students didn't think there was anything wrong with their behavior.

"Their actions were not malicious, but more from ignorance of simply not knowing the cues that typically alert law enforcement officers of potential danger."

With the number of high-profile instances of traffic stops ending in death or injury of the police officer or civilian, Stitt said he believed the traffic stop training model is needed throughout the country.

"We are living in a different time, a different generation," he continued. "Today, it's acceptable to question authority, or to expect to be told why youre being asked to perform a task.

"There is a time and place to ask questions, and/or be told why you're being asked to perform a task. Unfortunately, a traffic stop is not that time, nor is it the place."

Only complete and total compliance, he said greatly decreases the probability of a bad situation arising from a traffic stop.

"This is a bill to protect our law enforcement officers and citizens who may otherwise not know what their rights and responsibilities are when interacting with police; the goal of this legislation is to ensure police return to their families and civilians have an uneventful interaction and arrive safely at their destination," Williams concluded.

SB 16 enjoys cosponsor support of three fellow senators. It had not been scheduled a third hearing at time of publication.

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