Portland man improves public safety — and justice — by replacing broken taillights for free

(MAY 27, 2022) Lights are important parts of a car. Headlights help drivers see where they are going. Taillights alert other drivers that a vehicle is slowing or stopping. Drivers usually replace a headlight when it stops working. But they do not always notice when a taillight is out. That can make driving on the road dangerous in more ways than one.

"A lot of people don't even know they have a light that's out," said Don Merrill. He talked to KGW8 TV. He said, "In some neighborhoods, that's a bigger deal than in other neighborhoods."

Why is it a bigger deal in some neighborhoods? Merrill says a burned-out taillight is usually only a minor equipment violation. But it can be used as a reason for police to stop cars. This happens more often in neighborhoods of people of color. This sometimes leads to searches, arrests, and violent or lethal force against those drivers by the police. According to CNBSeen, the issue of police stops has been at the center of many questionable police shootings in recent years. In fact, in 2022, a new Oregon law prohibits police from stopping a vehicle for little things like burned-out taillights.

But it still happens. So Merrill created an organization called CNBSeen. The name sounds like "see and be seen." And that's the mission of the organization. Its project is to replace burned-out taillights for free at community events around Portland.

"It’s a really difficult issue. And this is just a tiny little thing that I’m doing," says Merrill. "This is not going to change the world. But I’m hoping that someone who comes to get a bulb replaced because they don’t want to get pulled over by the police -- whether it’s because of public safety or whether it’s because they don’t want to be profiled -- that’s what I’m here for."

The organization recently participated in a community event in the Richmond neighborhood. It hopes to participate in another event in the Montavilla neighborhood of Southeast Portland in August. For details: http://www.cnb-seen.org/