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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This resolution concerns collaboration and communication between the motorcycle
11 community and law enforcement to prevent motorcycle profiling.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 ▸ encourages collaboration and communication between the motorcycle community
15 and law enforcement to ensure that law enforcement's interactions with motorcycle
16 riders are appropriate, meet professional standards, and are in line with policy and
17 best practices; and
18 ▸ urges state law enforcement officials to ensure that the federal and state
19 constitutional rights of motorcycle riders are protected by including enforcement
20 procedures tailored to motorcycle riding behavior in written policies and training
21 materials.
22 Special Clauses:
23 None
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25 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
26 WHEREAS, according to the Federal Highway Administration, motorcycle ridership
27 has continued to increase over time, with nationwide registrations growing from 3,826,373 in
28 1997 to almost 9,000,000 today;
29 WHEREAS, some motorcycle enthusiasts believe that they are sometimes singled out
30 for traffic stops simply for riding a motorcycle or wearing motorcycle-related apparel without
31 any other legal basis under the Utah Constitution or the United States Constitution;
32 WHEREAS, one survey found that approximately half of the motorcyclists surveyed
33 felt that they had been profiled by law enforcement at least one time;
34 WHEREAS, complaints surrounding motorcycle profiling have been cited in all 50
35 states;
36 WHEREAS, nationwide protests to raise awareness and combat motorcycle profiling
37 have been held in multiple states;
38 WHEREAS, the state of Washington enacted legislation requiring training to ensure
39 that issues related to motorcycle profiling are addressed in basic law enforcement training, and
40 that applicable training is offered to in-service law enforcement officers in conjunction with
41 existing training regarding traffic stops; and
42 WHEREAS, other states, including Maryland, Louisiana, and Idaho, have enacted
43 legislation prohibiting the targeting of motorcyclists for traffic stops, and 19 states have
44 restricted motorcycle-only checkpoints by state law or judicial action:
45 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
46 recognizes law enforcement's commitment to fulfill law enforcement's duties in an exemplary
47 manner, and encourages collaboration and communication between the motorcycle community
48 and law enforcement to ensure that law enforcement's interactions with motorcycle riders are
49 appropriate, meet professional standards, and are in line with policy and best practices.
50 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges state law enforcement
51 officials to ensure that the federal and state constitutional rights of motorcycle riders are
52 protected by including enforcement procedures tailored to motorcycle riding behavior in
53 written policies and training materials.