ABUSE REPORT:
Officer lies to give educator citation.
Date of Incident:
Received: May 12, 2009
Hey Jason, I came here about a year ago in answer to a call from the bayarea for highly skilled, trained Special Education teachers with experience with autism.
I presently work for WCCUSD in a kindergarten class serving boys with autism. I ride a bike to BART, to work and back- I do not own a motor vehicle in CA.
4/12/09 I rode BART from work into downtown Oakland and got off at 13th street. I walked my bike up the steep stairs, at the top of the stairs I looked right- BurgerKing where I would eat, to my left the drugstore, where I needed to go. I WALKED my bike over towards the bike racks on 13th street just west of Broadway, to the south of the BART stairs. On my way I was stopped by a policeman who asked for my ID. When I gave my HI drivers licence to him he bagan writing me a ticket. I asked what I was being cited for- he said "Riding bike on sidewalk". I was not riding my bike on the sidewalk. He made up a story about seeing me come around the corner on my bike- he lied! He said if I didn't want to pay the ticket all I needed to do was to go to court- he assured me he would not appear and it would be dismissed.
Since this incident I have reported this "extortion" to the citizens board- under imvestigation.
I tried to get a court date and the only times are during my work hours. The city of Oakland is seriously fishing for funds!
Is this how I am to be treated? I came here with Aloha in my heart to give the children of this community my blood, sweat & tears. This officer lied! The system is set up to make it very difficult to do anything except pay the fine.
Please note: when I went to the courthouse to get info there was a disporportionate amount of unemployed or low income african americans or latinos in line; white middle class (car driving) folks were blatantly missing! In fact I was the only white person in line!
Clearly the Oakland police are targeting folks who do not drive new cars! Clearly they are attempting to EXTORT cash from the lowest income members of this community as well as well meaning visitors as myself!
The $85 fine is inordinate as well. "12.60.080 Any person who violates....shall be subject to a fine of not more that $10"!!!!
What about bike licences & registration cards???? Required but oh so esoteric!
Thank you for your time!
If this is inappropriately directed could you please direct me!
Mahalo nui loa!
Rev. Peter Beekley M.A. Ed
Back to the Bike the Bridge! Coalition.
Aloha!
Special note from Jason Meggs: many of us in the bicycle community have received citations for things which we did not do, on top of the many reports of citations which seem to have no purpose other than to harass bicyclists and discourage bicycling. A proposal to create a corps of community members and experts who will testify at all such trials and bring media attention to this ongoing phenomenon is called for. This is especially important because we know that when bicyclists and pedestrians are struck by cars, they are often wrongly faulted ~~ a symptom of the same disease. This is particularly true for those who are killed and completely unable to speak for themselves.
Special Educator