San Diego Traffic Ticket Status: New Program Offers Reprieve for Those Who Can't Afford Fixing Broken Taillights

The San Diego Police Department has launched a new program aimed at providing relief to individuals who cannot afford to pay traffic fines for broken taillights. The initiative, funded by the San Diego Padres Foundation and Scripps Health, will offer vouchers worth up to $500 to help drivers cover the cost of repairing their vehicles.

According to Malcolme Muttaqee, a police reform advocate and organizer with Pillars of the Community, a San Diego-based nonprofit, the program is an attempt by police to rectify long-term damage caused by citations and build stronger relationships with community members. The move has been welcomed by many who have criticized traffic stops for disproportionately targeting people of color.

The program will allow officers to connect with community members in a way that perhaps they're not used to, said Assistant Chief Rudy Tai during a news conference at the San Diego Police Department's downtown headquarters. 'Our collective goal is to make our roads safer without negatively impacting those who can't afford to fix a light or may not even realize a light is out,' he added.

The program will also provide an opportunity for officers to serve and help people, as Chief Roxana Kennedy of the San Diego Police Department put it. 'We came and entered this profession to serve, to help people, to make a difference.'

The vouchers are not expected to prevent officers from making traffic stops as usual, officials said. In some cases, officers might investigate and enforce other suspected crimes beyond the light-related violations.

MicroGrants, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that runs the program, will match the funds donated by the Padres Foundation and Scripps Health. The program is expected to run for about three years, depending on the number of vouchers redeemed and the cost of the repairs, officials said.

The move has been welcomed by many in the community who have long criticized traffic stops for being unfair and discriminatory. As Chief Jose Tellez of National City Police Department noted, 'It's great that there's a realization that some people can't afford to pay for broken taillights.

San diego traffic ticket status