Bridging the Legal Gap between the Traffic Stop and Criminal Investigation

Traffic law enforcement regularly identifies those who have perpetrated—or who intend to commit—serious criminal acts. Four of the September 11 terrorists were issued speeding citations just before that infamous day, and those 19 terrorists had obtained a total of 34 driver’s licenses and identity cards. Since its inception in 1998, 3M’s annual Looking Beyond the License Plate awards program has showcased representative examples of the excellent police work that has evolved from countless daily traffic stops.