From the Peninsula to the East Bay and even on the Bay Bridge, Bay Area police have had their hands full with recent sideshows across the region. Out of hundreds of people that took part in sideshows over the weekend, only two were arrested.
If you talk to Bay Area residents who witness the spectacles practically every weekend, they frequently say they don’t understand why police don’t do more to stop sideshows.
KRON 4 spoke with the California Highway Patrol about how they’re tackling the issue.
The CHP says they have a proactive approach to try to see the planning of sideshows online and a reactive approach to send officers to sideshows in progress.
Officer Andrew Barclay, Public Information Officer with CHP’s Golden Gate Division, says recent legislation allows officers to investigate and take later action.
“It doesn’t have to be, we see it right there, stop them and take the vehicle,” said Barclay. “If we identify that vehicle, we can come in a couple weeks later with that warrant and take that vehicle.”
Officer Barclay gets frequent questions about why responding officers don’t break up sideshows in progress. He says that’s not always a safe option for law enforcement.
“Very often you are looking at hundreds of people involved in these and sending in a single officer can be dangerous for that officer,” he said.