Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety is offering a “Not-Reaching Pouch.” “It’s a clear plastic pouch … for storing a driver’s license and insurance information. The idea is that the pouches will help reduce the likelihood of officers panicking and shooting drivers who are reaching for their documents during traffic stops. … ‘We are continually looking for ways to reduce deadly force encounters as these instances can be catastrophic for police officers, and community members,’ said DPS Assistant Commissioner Booker Hodges.”
“DPS is partnering with Valerie Castile, the mother of slain motorist Philando Castile, to distribute the pouches ‘during community events and other contacts with citizens.'” But as Christopher Ingraham explains, “It’s one thing for members of a community disproportionately affected by police violence to devise innovative ways to protect themselves during police encounters. But it feels like another thing entirely for police agencies to begin promoting those solutions as well. In effect, police in Minnesota are saying that the likelihood of officers shooting people for complying with their orders is so high that they recommended drivers carry a special device to prevent that from happening.”
The response on Twitter has been less than enthusiastic.