OT: This is wrong on so many levels...

 Found at thenewspaper.com:

      Quote:
      Police raid Riverside, California parking lot to issue modified car
tickets at local car enthusiast gathering.

      Parking lot raid 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.

      **********

      So 100 cops get to split $503,000.00.  No wonder California is broke.

      B~

 
Why are you saying this is wrong?

If certain engine modifications are illegal and those modifications were
performed ...

Would you be as upset if the police raided a gun show and cracked down on
selling guns without permits and illegal modifications to firearms?

 David T. Ashley wrote:


I sure would, because that's a BATF responsibility, and outside of the
purview of local or state law enforcement.
--
sjs
Furrfu!

 


Oh shit.  Here we go.

David:  You REALLY need to learn when to STFU!

 
Why?  The issues are exactly the same.  Minus issues of probable cause,
certain modifications to vehicles are illegal.  If people don't approve, get
the law changed.  Don't blame the cops for seeing certain get-togethers as a
revenue opportunity.