I was pulled over by a Prince George’s County police officer one night not long ago. No argument about why. No complaints about the cop who made the stop. Officer José García was polite in a by-the-book sort of way.
But there was room for improvement.
“Sir, I stopped you because one of your brake lights is out,” said García, a young corporal dressed in a crisp uniform. “May I see your driver’s license and registration?”
A good introduction under the circumstance. But if he had been familiar with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s guidelines, albeit several years old, for making traffic stops, he could have added a few nice touches.
Like smiling, for instance.
García was a professional, but he remained expressionless and came off as respectfully robotic. Says NHTSA, “A sincere smile doesn’t make you less authoritative.” I might add that smiling also helps ease the tension that arises when you appear at someone’s driver’s side window wearing a gun.
Here, another NHTSA technique might have been useful: “Ask the driver for a reason [for the violation]. Most drivers will be eager to offer an excuse or explanation, or even deny the offense. However, the real purpose of this question is to give drivers an opportunity to vent emotions and reduce their stress.”
After running my plates and registration, García returned to my car with an automated repair order. It was, in effect, a $70 traffic ticket that would be waived if I got the light fixed within 30 days. I asked García why he couldn’t just give me a heads-up about the brake light. I didn’t know it was broken and would have fixed it the next day.
“Just doing my job, sir,” García replied.
Of course he was. But NHTSA offers a more helpful response.
“At the appropriate time during the contact, explain why this violation is a cause of crashes in our community or state,” the guidelines say. “It is known that when drivers feel vulnerable, positive words from an officer can be a welcomed relief and may improve the violators driving practices. These words also let the driver know that the officer puts a premium on safety.”
Actually, García could have done even better. He could have cut me some slack. Using discretion is part of his job. The problem is that some groups are more likely to get a citation than others.
Maryland’s 2014 Race-Based Traffic Stop Data Analysis showed that men are more likely than women to be ticketed, blacks more than whites, and Hispanics most of all. White female drivers stopped by police were least likely to be ticketed, according to the report, followed by Asian women, African American women and Hispanic women.
Was there anything I could do to get a break — short of becoming a white woman?
I know that traffic stops are among the riskiest tasks in law enforcement, but they also are likely to be the only time that most people encounter police officers. Lasting impressions are made in those few minutes.
I later mailed in a copy of my repair order, confirming that the light had been fixed. Then, last week, I received a letter from the Maryland State Police Automotive Safety Enforcement Division saying that my mechanic’s signature was illegible. If I didn’t provide a signature that was readable, my car registration would be suspended.
I couldn’t help but think of García, whom I’ve been trying to reach to get him to sign off on the repair order. But so far no luck.
“The last words by an officer at the stop are also very important and may be the basis of a lasting impression of the officer and the agency,” according to NHTSA guidelines. “Generally, avoid saying, ‘Have a nice day.’ The driver’s reaction will be, ‘How can I? You just ruined it.’ ”
As García returned to his car, I asked again about not getting a break.
“Have a nice day, sir,” he replied.
There was definitely room for improvement.
