COLOMBIA – An effort by the leader of the Democratic Chamber of South Carolina to prevent police from stopping vehicles just because they have frames that cover the labels failed to gain traction among lawmakers on February 3.
Columbia’s attorney and sponsor of the bill, Todd Rutherford, said the issue was about free speech and preventing the police from checking drivers’ license plates at random.
“Just a quick look at any highway, secondary road, any secondary road in South Carolina to see that these frames are ubiquitous and, at some point, the law has to keep track of people’s personal habits,” said the leader of the minority in the Chamber. The Post and Courier on February 3, minutes after a subcommittee chose not to vote on its proposal amid the reaction of a former sheriff and other police officers.
“We have 50 states. Fifty state identification systems, “State Representative Bruce Bryant, R-Lake Wylie and a 20-year-old York County sheriff, told the House panel.” And it is important that someone, be it the police or someone who has just been robbed or assaulted or stolen, if they can see a tag, that they can tell where that tag comes from. “
Frames that hide the letters, numbers, registration or state logo on a plaque have been illegal since 2013, but Rutherford said the law is already out of date, and following a summer of calls for racial equality, police reform and civil justice, giving freedom for authorities to make traffic stops for no reason beyond a partially unreadable sign needs to be reexamined.
“Mainly, it’s just an acknowledgment of where society is already,” he said. “All the dealerships I know give people these frames. You can buy them at every gas station and any store, and then you give a policeman probable cause to stop you because of that. “
SC Motor Vehicles Department chief Kevin Shwedo told lawmakers he understood the concerns raised by law enforcement officials, especially with more than 400 custom license plates available for drivers to choose from in South Carolina.
“One of the main things you can say is who’s behind a license plate,” he said. “If you are covering the state (logo) or the registration sticker, it is difficult for (police) to do their job.”
This becomes even more challenging, since according to Rutherford’s measure, a person would have had to have committed at least one other violation in addition to having a frame before the police could stop traffic, said the Sheriff’s Association.
“I am sensitive to the concern that there are certain prejudices out there for certain people who make these stops, but I am also concerned about the safety of the officer and public security if we allow this to go forward,” said Jarod Bruder, vice president of the President’s association.
Rutherford, a criminal defense lawyer, said law enforcement agencies already have broad powers.
“Law enforcement would love it if we walked around with our criminal record and all of our history on our foreheads. This is not the reality in which we live. Nothing about having a frame around the sign makes it more difficult ”, for the police. “If the officer believes he doesn’t need to approach that car, he can call for backup.”
The House’s Education and Public Works subcommittee that presented Rutherford’s bill could present it again, but it was unclear whether members would do it.
Follow Adam Benson on Twitter @ AdamNewshound12.