Police Raid Car Enthusiast Gathering, Generate Revenue

[Rick]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]California: Police Raid Car Enthusiast Gathering, Generate Revenue
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Police raid Riverside, California parking lot to issue modified car tickets at local car enthusiast gathering.

[/FONT][/font]Nine police agencies in Riverside, California sent more than one hundred police officers to surround a gathering of automotive enthusiasts. Owners of imported sport compact cars had gathered at the Canyon Crossing shopping center on Friday night to swap stories, talk about their passion for cars and show off the latest enhancements to their rides. At around 11pm police surprised participants by blocking all exits with fifty police cruisers. Officers then began a warrantless search and interrogation operation of the 150 vehicles that were present.

"If you're not into street racing, why would you need that?" Riverside Police Traffic Sergeant Skip Showalter asked an enthusiast during a similar crackdown last year. "Why would you want more power going to your car?"

Police issued a total of forty-eight tickets for "engine modifications" with police accusing the owners of the parked vehicles of being street racers. Another fifty tickets were issued for paperwork violations, dark window tinting and lack of a front license plate. The most revenue, however, will be generated from the fees imposed on twenty vehicles that were confiscated. Despite labeling the parking lot raid as taking place at a "street racing venue," Riverside Police offered no evidence that any street racing actually took place.

Across the state, gas tax funds are regularly used to fund similar crackdowns that generate big revenue. In 2004, the California Highway Patrol issued a total of 101,553 "modified car" citations worth $10.5 million according to CHP data obtained by TheNewspaper.

In 2005, the California Office of Traffic Safety handed Riverside Police $400,000 in state and federal gas tax revenue for the "establishment of a regional task force to conduct enforcement operations targeting street racing, modified vehicles and speed contests," according to the Riverside Police Department's June 2007 Chief's Report. The department received another $503,268 grant for selective enforcement efforts in 2008. The other agencies that participated in the raid include the California Highway Patrol, Riverside County Sheriff's Department, and police from Baldwin Park, Fontana, Irwindale, Moreno Valley, Ontario and Mount San Jacinto Community College.

 

[Willard]

Soo they all got ticketed for having modified engines. Real nice, what happened to the freedom to do whatever you want with your own vehicle as long as it is within regulations for driving it on the street? Would they do the same to a bunch of off-roaders showing off their non-street legal rigs in the same way? How is it within the law if they aren't even on a public road anyways?

 

[Tbars4]

...They've been doing that for years out here...

...They just change what they call it...Lawyers nail the enforcers down with civil rights violations and the State creates new laws and calls it something else...

...They've shut down all the cruising and gathering venues out here and there's no place to go...If you gather, the State of California can consider you as a Gang...Don't laff, it happens...Car Enthusiast can be considered a Gang...

You would need a permit to gather...Try getting on of those..

 

[CCr]

I hate **** like that. buncha guys get together to BS on a friday night, probably aren't doing anything wrong yet, and bam! raid. oddly enough I conducted an experiment in the town of fargo. I got the muscle car guys together, we had classic stangs, 80's stangs, camaro's newer ones, and a 57 chevy. specified no imports. cops came and talked to us but did not kick us out of that lot, even got out to check out our rides. different group of guys next night, lotsa imports. kicked all of us out in a threatening and rude way. it's racist really. car rascism.

 

[Sojourner]

To be honest with you, car enthusiasts gathering in a shopping center parking lot have annoyed me more than once in the past. They show no consideration at all for the other patrons who frequent the shops. They park in the most inconvenient ways (sideways, take up two spaces, using the throughway as a parking area, etc.) and you can't get around them. If someone complains, you walk out to find your car has been keyed (didn't happen to me but several other people I know). It would be nice if they found another place to gather that doesn't intrude on other people's access to shops or public parking, in my opinion. If the police were there, I am sure it is because they got numerous complaints about the gathering from patrons and shop owners both!

 

[Willard]

Sure, but 100 police cars? Warrantless searches? And tickets all around along with impounding some?

If that was the reasoning, they send a couple officers and ask them to leave. They don't take that extreme of measures.

 

[CCr]

I agree with the bad parking and idiots. we policed ourselves in fargo, parked away from the businesses, and in spots. if some idiot came and parked like a tard, there were about 5 people that would tell him to move it. trash? pick it up. we left the lots cleaner than they were when we got there. our import crowd in fargo had good morals and we still got kicked around. I never had an import, brought the 66. it got to the point where we got smaller and smaller. the cops killed the car scene. then it was just the muscle car guys going to B-dubs.

 

[KPT]

Wait that means in Commifornia I'm street racing because I have an aftermarket intake?

I feel sorry for anyone stuck in that ****hole.

 

[Sojourner]

Sure, but 100 police cars? Warrantless searches? And tickets all around along with impounding some?

If that was the reasoning, they send a couple officers and ask them to leave. They don't take that extreme of measures.

At our local shopping center, they tried that a few times (just sending a couple of officers and asking them to leave) but it did no good. They finally had to start handing out tickets and, when they showed up again, law enforcement showed up with more numbers. The car enthusiasts out here in the Inland Empire are like that. They don't give a rat's patoot about anyone but themselves. Of course, we have a lot of gang bangers out here too and they could be involved in this. Don't knock it until you have to live out here!

 

[steventadams]

There is a car meet around me in a large parking lot shared by a McDonalds and a RiteAid. As far as I know there have never been any problems with the cops and there are usually a few dozen cars that show up, engines running.

 

[DeRocha]

Sure, but 100 police cars? Warrantless searches? And tickets all around along with impounding some?

If that was the reasoning, they send a couple officers and ask them to leave. They don't take that extreme of measures.

I agree and if it were me I would fight it in court.. Of course I would have never divulge any information to the police about my car without said warrant.

 

[Dannyboy]

I've said this in other threads, people are driving less wtih high gas prices and nobody is buying new cars with the economy the way it is. This results in a major loss of revenue from sales taxes, registrations and fuel taxes.

Local and state governments are "cracking down" on issues that have been laxed in the past and selling it to the public as "improving safety". Do I blame them? Not really, rules are made to be enforced. It's just a coincedence that if you do not follow the rules you get a penalty that turns into revenue for these agencies.

As for discriminating ricers...we'll I guess if it looks like a skunk and smells like a skunk it's most likely a skunk. Most laws are passed for some sort of safety (window tint for example).

The off-road trucks have rules and regulations as well and I understand why they enforce them. I have to run a mudflap that covers the width of the tire on my superduty and is no more than 8" above the ground. I decided to follow the rules and put on the mudflaps instead of potentially get a ticket for something that is clearly stated as a law. It makes sense, I enjoy driving a lifted truck but why should the car behind me get hit with rocks because of my choice to have my bumper 3 feet in the air.


Ulitmately it's a need for revenue, either lay off some officers or put them on a project that generates revenue to pay their salary.

 

[Tbars4]

...Just some other info...It ties in with this thread and Ricks other thread on scrapping cars for cash...This has been going on in California for as long as I can remember...In fact, this was going on in the late 70's and 80's...

...They are trying to take this nation wide and also in Canada too...Say you just stopped by with your vehicle and seen all those guys gathering and just wanted to check out the cars and got wrapped up in the mess...Did you know they could crush your car......Sounds extreme but it could happen...

...The "Spirit of the law" and the "Letter of the law", are 2 different things...Laws are cool and meant to protect...:biggthump...

...just some quick reading I found...

...L.A.
http://articles.latimes.com/2003/sep/05/local/me-racing5

California...
http://www.ridelust.com/california-employes-new-tactics-to-crush-illegal-street-racing/

...The province of Ontario, Canada...
http://www.minivans.autoblog.com/20...o-crush-a-street-racers-car-before-it-hits-t/

...This guy got busted for actually racing, his story...Read about his stolen trans from his father with receipt and paperwork...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19339955

...And this is interesting as it seems to be another reason to confiscate and crush your car..:scratch:
"The California vehicle code allows police agencies to destroy cars even if only one part is determined stolen."
http://www.pe.com/localnews/publicsafety/stories/PE_News_Local_D_crush01.3e16c84.html

 

[Rick]

Most laws are passed for some sort of safety (window tint for example).

Good example... Arizona law says you can not run "limo tint" on your front side windows. After purchasing a used Corolla for Char with illegal tint already installed I can see why. At night you can barely see out of the windows on unlit roads.

Funny... the unmarked black Mustang which cruises the West Valley runs limo tint on HIS front side windows apparently so you can't tell that the guy you pull up next to at a light is a uniformed cop. I want to know if this cop has "super human" eyes like Superman. If not why isn't it just as unsafe for him to drive with limo tint as it is for the rest of us "pions" without a badge

If laws were equally enforced I wouldn't have nearly the problem that I do with laws and enforcement techniques which I consider stupid and/or unfair. Unfortunately they're not. Our photo radar cameras shot pics of hundreds of government employees speeding. Did they get tickets? No, their tickets were disregarded. Fair? Not a chance... Is it fair that out of state drivers can get flashed over and over and over by our photo speed cameras and never get ticketed while Arizona residents are held responsible for the same behavior? No friggin' way... Selective enforcement is just plain wrong.

 

[htrdlncn]

pretty much all anti car legislation has its roots somewhere in California.
The car enthusiast world would be a better place if it got swallowed by the ocean.
If you read up on similiar legislation in other states it is usually proposed by someone
who lived in Cali previously or they are using Cali as an example.
Truly the closest thing we have to a socialist state.
Funny that the governor is Austrian..

 

[Sojourner]

Most of the vehicle laws that we have in California today were set LONG before our current governor came in to office. In order to have them changed, the state senate/congress/legislature would have to pass a bill to have them reversed. That's not going to happen any time soon!

Oh! I hope they catch every single illegal street racer and crush their cars to bits! After having a friend killed by an out of control street racer, I have no compassion for any of them! If they get caught, they deserve what they get! With all the LEGAL ways to race out here, they have NO EXCUSE for putting innocent lives in danger on residential streets!

 

[htrdlncn]

I wasnt saying Arnie made the laws, I know full well Cali has been making useless
laws for decades, I studied there in the mid 80s, you couldnt pay me enough to live there.
Never seen so many people so full of themselves.

 

[Tbars4]

...:shifty_ey ..I would hate to have my truck's crushed just because I fit the profile..

....And I probably couldn't produce a receipt for every part that was put on my trucks...

...California also used to be known for street racing muscle cars, Drag Racing, Offroad Racing, and Stock cars...These laws against racers have been going on since before I was a glimmer in my Daddy's eye...

...Modifying your cars used to mean you were an undesirable...

...Rick, The very first thing I said to Dannyboy when I showed up to his house after driving thru Phoenix in rush hour traffic, "My goodness, everyone out here does the posted speed limit and they obey all the Driving laws...I'm impressed"...:biggthump

 

[Sojourner]

tbars, you know better than that! You don't have a suped up race car in your driveway! I don't think it's right to "crush" vehicles randomly but, if you get caught in an illegal situation (even if you AREN'T street racing) with a vehicle that is modified beyond the point of being just "showy" (meaning nitro fuel injection for speeds above 120 mph), in a place where LEGAL racing isn't available (like on a residential street or a public parking lot), then I would have to agree with people getting tickets or even having their vehicles confiscated. Trucks.... no! Offroad vehicles are a totally different story and in a totally different category because MOST of those guys don't go drag racing on city streets and the only people they hurt are themselves! If they want to be dumkopfs, at least they do it offroad and away from innocent bystanders!

And the only profile you fit is being a nice guy, tbars!

 

[techieman33]

tbars, you know better than that! You don't have a suped up race car in your driveway! I don't think it's right to "crush" vehicles randomly but, if you get caught in an illegal situation (even if you AREN'T street racing) with a vehicle that is modified beyond the point of being just "showy" (meaning nitro fuel injection or speeds above 120 mph), in a place where LEGAL racing isn't available (like on a residential street or a public parking lot), then I would have to agree with people getting tickets or even having their vehicles confiscated. Trucks.... no! Offroad vehicles are a totally different story and in a totally different category because MOST of those guys don't go drag racing on city streets and the only people they hurt are themselves! If they want to be dumkopfs, at least they do it offroad and away from innocent bystanders!

And the only profile you fit is being a nice guy, tbars!

Sorry but offroad vehicles are not different, I bet they would find just as many illegal modifications in a group of offroaders as they would in a group of "ricers." And if a big lifted truck hit someone else I bet it would do a whole lot more damage to a car than one of those little imports.