The weather was gorgeous last Thursday around sunset, and there were plenty of people with bikes on Roosevelt near Pulaski in North Lawndale. Johnny Harris, 60, was cycling home on a Gitane road bike, while Thomas Chatman, 56, wore a straw fedora as he stood on the sidewalk with his hybrid, which had unfortunately caught a flat.
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“An officer has to have probable cause in order to conduct a search,” Brooks said.
Singh noted that a recent ProPublica report found that Chicago automobile ticketing practices disproportionately impact African-Americans on the south and west sides, often sending residents into a spiral of fines, late fees, driver’s license suspensions, loss of employment, and loss of income. While bike tickets don’t lead to a license being revoked, she added that when police target cyclists in communities of color, there are other negative outcomes besides financial hardship. “It can impact your well-being when you feel that your every move is being watched and that you’re getting in trouble for things other people aren’t.”
