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The Lights On program could be the start to increasing trust between police and the community.
Good afternoon.
Kyarra Harris here, preparing for the yearly expense of registering my car. I’m overdue, I know—but I find the whole process tedious. It’s expensive owning a car, and even the newest models need maintenance and care. Paying off a car is a high expense in itself, and then there’s insurance, modifications to your tires, gas prices, etc.
Those are expenses for a working car, but when something goes wrong, the prices can match a serious medical bill. So, it’s not far-fetched to say there are a lot of people putting off fixing things like a broken tail light or headlight. These inconveniences can also add up when you aren’t in a position to immediately take care of the issue.
If you don’t know already, everything trickles down when it comes to inequality in America. Many people who live paycheck to paycheck or below the poverty line have to prioritize everyday items like food and house bills. It so happens that many in this group are Black Americans, Latino Americans and other people of color. These same groups often face discrimination and have a legitimate mistrust of law enforcement.
Americans overall are struggling, and it’s no exception here in Monterey County. The prices of goods are going up, and we’re still coming out of a challenging pandemic. But some cities are taking on a big project that could lend a helping hand.
Earlier this month, the Weekly broke the story about the Seaside Police Department partnering with Lights On! to offer an alternative to a ticket when being pulled over for vehicle issues like a broken taillight. Instead, people will get a voucher—in English and Spanish—that’s good for two weeks and covers up to $250 for a repair. The auto shop is reimbursed directly by Lights On!
Five local auto shops have already signed on, including Lavender Bros, Nissan Cardinale and Wayside Garage, and people can take their vouchers to one of the participating stores to get the service they need. Right now, the goal is to target Seaside residents, and you can even take steps ahead of time before it gets to a police stop.
“If there are people who are afraid, they can come to the Police Department, make an appointment and get a voucher on their own,” Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges says. After that, there’s no further interaction with the police department necessary—you simply hand your voucher to the auto shop and they deal directly with Lights On!
Borges will make a formal announcement tomorrow, May 19. To help promote the program, guest speaker Valerie Castile will be in Seaside. Castile’s family made national headlines back in 2016 when her son, Philando Castile, was pulled over for a broken taillight. The stop ended with a police officer firing at Philando, ultimately killing him. Since then, Castile has supported legislation against prosecuting traffic stops for minor things like broken tail lights or expired tags.
The Seaside Police Department is starting off with about 100 vouchers and will assess what the need is. If they run out quickly, they may increase the number of vouchers in the future.
While the program may take some getting used to, no one likes being pulled over, especially if they are unaware of a problem. A partnership like this shows real effort in making some changes in the community—and that’s always a win.
-Kyarra Harris, digital producer, kyarra@mcweekly.com
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