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The Untold Story. The Click It or Ticket campaign was successful on several levels including an unprecedented increase in belt use among the nonwhite population and a decrease in motor vehicle deaths. The untold story lies in the changes that occurred within theculture of the state's enforcement community and the establishment of a new dialogue and new alliances with the state's minority leadership.
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Prior to this campaign, South Carolina did not have a formal policy or training related to racial profiling. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety now has institutionalized Professional Traffic Stop training in its three law enforcement divisions (Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, and Bureau of Protective Services) and in its Criminal Justice Academy. |
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A bridge has been built between the minority population and the enforcement community with members of the Legislative Black Caucus now supporting passage of a primary belt law. |
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The Highway Safety Program has expanded its focus on traffic safety programs to include educational outreach to African Americans and Hispanics. Prior to the Click It or Ticket campaign, minimal efforts were made to reach these populations. |
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“The untold story lies in the changes that occurred within the culture of the state's enforcement community...”
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South Carolina’s Click It or Ticket campaign served as a powerful examination of how effective seat belt enforcement strategies can make a lasting impact on a state’s enforcement approaches and efforts to address minority concerns regarding racial profiling. The South Carolina experience illustrates the benefits of ensuring that minority groups are a part of the decision-making when building an enforcement and education plan for safety belt enforcement. Other states have overlooked this strategy and may have jeopardized their campaign effort when others have accused them of conducting differential enforcement activities. South Carolina’s emphasis on “minority inclusion” allayed any fears of racial profiling while also cultivating selected community leaders as the Click It or Ticket campaign’s most powerful spokespersons. Most importantly, the campaign has shown that targeted media efforts linked to stringent enforcement and a culturally sensitive outreach effort will increase belt use and save lives within the nonwhite population.
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“The South Carolina experience illustrates the benefits of ensuring that minority groups are a part of the decision-making when building an enforcement and education plan for safety belt enforcement.”
“...the campaign has shown that targeted media efforts linked to stringent enforcement and a culturally sensitive outreach effort will increase belt use and save lives within the nonwhite population.”
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