California: Police Raid Car Enthusiast Gathering, Generate Revenue
04-04-08, 07:48 AM
#1
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
California: Police Raid Car Enthusiast Gathering, Generate Revenue
It isn't uncommon for automotive enthusiast groups to organize gatherings in large commercial parking lots. Quite often the local businesses even support the groups due to increased sales generated by the crowds. Such is apparently not the case in Riverside, California. The city believes large automotive-focused get togethers promote street racing and that must also be the purpose of any vehicle equipped with performance modifications. To quell the situation, last Friday night around 11PM, police surprised 150 vehicles and their owners during a meet at Canyon Crossing shopping center. Fifty ...
http://thenewspaper.com/news/23/2302.asp
California: Police Raid Car Enthusiast Gathering, Generate Revenue
Police raid Riverside, California parking lot to issue modified car tickets at local car enthusiast gathering.
Using $503,000 in federal and state gas tax revenue to pay for overtime, 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.
Other law enforcement agencies participating in Friday night's raid included 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.
Police raid Riverside, California parking lot to issue modified car tickets at local car enthusiast gathering.
Using $503,000 in federal and state gas tax revenue to pay for overtime, 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.
Other law enforcement agencies participating in Friday night's raid included 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.
04-04-08, 08:19 AM
#3
Lexus Champion
"If you're not into street racing, why would you need that?"
Does that mean we can't buy high end cars with higher power engines? Does that mean we should buy a Ford Aspire if we're not into street racing? wtf...
We buy it because we like it, performance from the mod is a plus, but we just want to enjoy our cars as we like it, doesn't mean we have to be street racing to modify our cars.
Does that mean we can't buy high end cars with higher power engines? Does that mean we should buy a Ford Aspire if we're not into street racing? wtf...
We buy it because we like it, performance from the mod is a plus, but we just want to enjoy our cars as we like it, doesn't mean we have to be street racing to modify our cars.
04-04-08, 08:40 AM
#6
That's BS. Unless the cars have FI or NOS there won't be any significant gains unless it's a V8 or V10. Example someone puts Intake, Header, Exhaust but have heavy rims with body kit etc. They may actually be making less power than what the car came with in the first place.
Trending Topics
04-04-08, 09:18 AM
#8
I agree, kind of BS. But who the hell schedules a car meet at 11PM at night? That is just asking for trouble anyway. There is a reason why a lot of us don't go on the night cruises or night meets. It's just asking for trouble whether warranted or not.
04-04-08, 10:43 AM
#9
its sad
there are also people questioning the PD's authority to write fix-it/CVC tickets on private property, some were saying that the PD made people pull out onto the road before ticketing them.
04-04-08, 11:27 AM
#10
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: ca
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
they used to pull this crap down in Mira Mesa, CA, blocking in all the exits. Sad thing is people just pay, don't fight them, and so they keep doing it. The late night food places like the taco shops, In N Out etc made lots of money those nights when it would have been practically empty. The businesses loved it, the enthusiats loved it, and the state loves it because they can generate revenue.
CA sucks, they pass Prop 13 to keep property taxes artificially low and then complain when the cities have to come up with BS like the above and have astronomical ticket fines (Run a stop sign in NY get a $99 ticket, run it in CA get a $300 ticket + $50 right to take traffic school fee + other misc fees I can't remember). Want to park at the beach, cha ching, pay, want to smoke in your own condo, cha ching, pay a fee, whats next, pay to use a public toilet.... oh wait
CA sucks, they pass Prop 13 to keep property taxes artificially low and then complain when the cities have to come up with BS like the above and have astronomical ticket fines (Run a stop sign in NY get a $99 ticket, run it in CA get a $300 ticket + $50 right to take traffic school fee + other misc fees I can't remember). Want to park at the beach, cha ching, pay, want to smoke in your own condo, cha ching, pay a fee, whats next, pay to use a public toilet.... oh wait
04-04-08, 11:45 AM
#12
Lexus Fanatic
there was a massive raid here in hawaii last wkend too... BUT these guys ARE street racers and this was a day meet 
, actually 2 major raids since the bikers had a HUGE meet also ON THE SAME DAY as the street racers collaberation meet... hahaha
, actually 2 major raids since the bikers had a HUGE meet also ON THE SAME DAY as the street racers collaberation meet... hahaha
04-04-08, 11:54 AM
#13
Lexus Test Driver
The real question is if the citations and other associated fees made back that $530k in overtime wages.
And they complain about not having enough police funding to deter violent crime.
And they complain about not having enough police funding to deter violent crime.
04-04-08, 12:00 PM
#14
Irvine PD is all over cars and coffee. They are threatening to shut it down because of few who cause problems (doing burn outs ect)
