Wow... I didn't know our state had gotten this idiotic .

Article Taken From: http://www.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.

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.

 

We're not suppose to post politically themed threads... But our nation is becoming a **** nation!

 

Wow. Let's see. Power = Stupidity?

 

What a waste of police manpower and an abuse of power.

 

"Sir, your Ford Festiva has an engine capable of doing over 65 MPG. There's no reason for having that engine unless you intend to speed. I'll have to write you up."

 

"If you're not into street racing, why would you need that?"

Some times cops can be real stupid.
I feel sorry for the cops who have some common sense and will get abused for the stupidity of this.

 

"First they came for the Hondas w/ coffee can exhausts tips and 3' wings, but I hated rice so I said nothing. Then they came for the 300s and Escalades w/ whistle tips and 22" spinners, but I wasn't a gangsta, so I said nothing. Then they came for the MINIs and there was no one left to speak."

 

^ Very well done.
guilty until proven innocent?
The funny thing is that many of those troopers probably own and love some big V8 block engine cars . . . why would you need that if you're not into taking someone off the line in the streets?

 

Seriously, this kind of stuff drives me nuts...

 

I guess the Police didn't have anything better to do? Would very interesting
to see how many crimes, assaults, burglaries, happend while this "Police" action
was going down. Wonder how many cops drive big trucks and never tow anything?
Can't have a big truck unless you tow something?

 

That stinks Anybody know if any Minis were there?

 

I continually read this kinds of things and just want to quit paying taxes. The taxes collected on gas are supposed to be used for road improvements and additions primarily.

Instead some swift talking politician has convinced the government to turn that over to policing agencies to destroy communities. Yes, destroy. If you can't gather and meet a few of your neighbors, shares stories, shoot the sh*t, or have a rally, what's the point? Maybe us drones just should all go to work, pay our taxes and live in the boxes they let us buy at inflated prices, and quit complaining. It seems that is what they want.

We're headed down the wrong road here folks, and it is time we stopped allowing this kind of thing to take place without argument.

 

This was posted in another thread a week or so ago. The lingering question came to be what kind of "car show" is happening in a parking lot at 11 PM? Hmmm... how much street racing has been happening in the area recently, etc...

 

That totaly sucks. The cops around here could care less about modified cars. There are no emission laws, no state inspections, and nothing against modifiying your car for whatever you want. However, you have to have a front plate, and all our roads are straight.

 

The time shouldn't really have anything to do with it. I know we've got a big car meet around here every thursday evening. Starts around 6-7 and runs through pretty late...at least till 11. But nobody there is really stupid, we just all hang out, chat up other people about their rides, grab a bite to eat if somebody's grilling, then head home. You get a few *******s that will try to drag locally afterwards, but you can have cops around the area...there's absolutely no reason to jump in there to bust all of the innocent people that are just car enthusiasts

 

Welcome to Police State USA.

 

Makes me sick. Go bother someone who's actually doing something wrong.

 

I live in the area, and there hasn't been a report of street racing in about 6 months. The weather is warm, no snow, rain, sleet or hail. West Virginia may be a bit different. But when it's 11 p.m. in SoCal it means the night is still very young. 11p.m. is about break up time and everyone heading to Norms to get some strawberry pie!

And, I really don't care if there was street racing being done. For the police to treat it as a round-up is wrong. It violates our rights as citizens. This wasn't unlawful assembly, it was just a bunch of enthusiasts getting together on a Friday evening. Aaaaack! Police should be dealing with the gang violence in the area, not the car guys. Over the same weekend, there were 10-12 random shootings, but the police were busy giving tickets to guys who are into their cars. Go figure.

 

From someone watching from a safe distance: yup, it has.

That kinda stuff scares the stuffing outta me.

 

One more reason i love living in the wildwest Arizona. I can drive around in my non-smog legal car, with a loaded gun strapped to my side, talking on my cellphone.



If i was into that sort of thing

 

About the only thing I can say about this is; WT*

 

Something similiar happened in Houston a few years ago. The cops showed up at a parking lot and not only ticketed people, but hauled some of them to jail. They even arrested people at the Sonic Drive in next door. Needless to say, the lawsuit was just settled, and it didn't go in favor of the police! I think the head honcho who organized the roundup lost his job. So, "sue"! It's the American way!

 

I think it's about time for California to break off and fall into the ocean

 

Welcome to Kalifornia

wasn't Riverside one of the higher murder counties the last few yrs?

this is disgusting.....

 

The cars were parked? Did the police have a warrant to search the cars? If not, then always remember that when asked if it's OK to search the answer is no. If they have legal authority to search anyway, such as a warrant, they will, but always make it clear that they do not have your permission. Don't get in the way or try to stop them in any way, just don't give permission.

They may actually have had legal authority to conduct this "raid" but it was obviously a huge waste of public resources and generated ill will toward the police. Very stupid.