The Chattanooga Police Department has started a new voucher program that aims to ease the burden of some minor traffic violations for motorists.
Police Chief David Roddy announced Wednesday the department is partnering with the grant program Lights On!, which replaces tickets with repair vouchers to be redeemed for free repairs at participating auto service shops.
The Lights On! program is an initiative that works to repair the relationship between a community and its law enforcement agencies. Roddy said during a news conference Wednesday that the citywide implementation of the voucher program is the latest way the department is using its “Policing and Racial Equity dashboard” to correct for inequities.
“The dashboard challenged CPD to analyze the data through an equitable lens,” a statement from the department reads. “The result indicates a marginally disproportionate, negative effect on historically oppressed communities of color in Chattanooga.”
Under the program, Chattanooga police officers can provide vouchers for repairs up to $250 on traffic stops. The vouchers can be used for mechanical problems with the vehicle rather than citing the driver.