A senate committee is reviewing a proposal to prohibit profiling drivers in non-commercial vehicles.
State Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) has sponsored a bill that prohibits law enforcement agencies from establishing roadside checkpoint or road block patterns based upon a particular vehicle type or who’s driving the vehicle.
Committee chairman Mike Kehoe says it’s an issue that has recently been brought to his attention. “Senator Schaefer has a bill that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from doing checkpoints for a specific type of non-commercial vehicles,” he says.
Kehoe says more specifically, including the establishment of motorcycle-only checkpoints. “Apparently there have been check points going on that target only motorcycle riders, drivers, and operators,” he says. “And he (Kurt Schaefer) feels that is a discriminatory nature in that the law (enforcement) should not be able to stop.”
Kehoe adds that police should not be able to stop vehicles operated by non-commercial drivers, and that law would prohibit that from happening. However, law enforcement officials will be able to establish roadside checkpoints that only stop and check commercial vehicles only.
To view the Senate Bill, click here.
AUDIO: Mary Farucci reports. (1:00)