Charleston Democratic Socialists Hosting Free Brake Light Clinic

This mutual aid event aims to prevent unnecessary police stops, expensive tickets and fines, and possible court appearances, while sharing the skills necessary to service our own vehicles.

Nationwide, the statistics are clear: Traffic stops, particularly “pretextual” stops where police use a minor infraction as an excuse to search a vehicle, lead to overpolicing, harassment, and intimidation, and serve as an entry point for a carceral system that locks up a greater portion of the population than in any other country on Earth.

Locally, police have not been forthcoming about their own behavior at traffic stops, fueling an ongoing distrust between the community and the police departments in our area. In North Charleston, for example, a 2021 racial bias audit commissioned by the city recommended that the police department set up a traffic stop data system that tracks information about all traffic stops, regardless of outcome. As of the final implementation report in November 2022, the police had not done this.

“As you probably know, having brake lights go out is an opportunity for police to pull people over, which can be dangerous or even fatal for Black people and people of color,” said Abolition Working Group Chair Camela Guevara. “By changing out brake lights, we show that we keep us safe, as well as demonstrate socialism in action.”