Ramsey County ending felony prosecutions from non-public safety traffic stops

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office is ending felony prosecutions resulting from non-public safety traffic stops. 

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi announced a new county-wide policy Wednesday aimed at "fundamentally changing the use of non-public safety traffic stops by police," according to a news release. 

Non-public safety traffic stops typically occur when a driver is stopped for an equipment violation to seek evidence of a more serious crime. The attorney’s office says those types of stops "disproportionally affect black and brown communities and undermine the trust in the work police do every day to serve and protect the public." 

The attorney’s office said the new policy was developed in collaboration with local law enforcement, philanthropic leaders, county residents and national partners.