angle

By now you may have heard about the Hollywood LAPD assaulting cyclists during a recent Critical Mass ride:

https://laist.com/2010/05/29/caught_o...ass_bike_r.php

https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...-cyclists.html

Sgt. Krumer will be representing the LAPD at the upcoming Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting this Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Whether or not you support Critical Mass or social bike rides in general, the incidents have implications for the way that cyclists are treated by law enforcement, which, at best, has been handled in a glaringly inconsistent and frequently misinformed way. If you bicycle on public streets, I encourage you to attend this meeting.

LA City Council Bicycle Advisory Committee
Hollywood Neighborhood City Hall
6501 Fountain Ave. (between Cole & Wilcox)
Los Angeles, CA 90028

https://www.midnightridazz.com/viewSt...p?storyId=4977

Rumpled

So much for LAPD getting along better with cyclists, eh Chief Beck?
Looked a lot like that NY situation.

alicestrong

Two steps forward, one step back...

90% I will be there.

The NY thing was a little different, as the cop filed a report before he was aware of the video.

Portable video is certainly changing things. Better not do anything you would regret seeing later on film.

chefxian

That video isn't very definitive. Yea, you see the cop kick the guy but do any of you really know what happend? Probably not. It will be hear say from the LA fixed board or Midnight Ridazz. I've done enough rides with those yoyo's that if I was a cop I would kick them. The fixie attitude is as bad as the road nazis of the westside. I do believe the LAPD is not pro bike but I think before everyone gets how they get let's see what happens.

angle

Thanks for your opinion.

Issues between cyclists and the LAPD have been bad enough that a special task force was set up to deal with the problems, and Sgt Krumer heads that up. I'd suggest that if anyone wants to get a better idea of what is going on, that they attend the meeting tonight.

chefxian

A special task force? What problem? Task forces take down cyclicts. Is that what you mean? The task force is there to bust cyclists? And you are welcome for my opinion. if you would like anymore please keep blabbering about task forces and SWAT teams.

angle

https://soapboxla.blogspot.com/2010/0...ocks-lapd.html

alicestrong

Why don't you drop by the meeting? I know it's tedious...

angle

It's true that the Bicycle Advisory Committee meetings can be kind of mind-numbing, but this one tonight should be pretty lively.

alicestrong

Might be extremely lively and well attended ( I hope)...I don't mean to sound negative.

I'll be there.

chefxian

Thank you very much for the link.

mustachiod

cops HATE critical mass, in every city.

Why? because instead of fostering a positive image for cyclists, a bunch of yahoos always show up to run lights and disobey traffic rules. that's why I no longer participate.

grrlyrida

Wow. The story was picked up on the local TV news:

https://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?se...les&id=7473995

grrlyrida

And from the front page of latimes.com:

https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...p-protest.html

Looks like this story may have legs.

angle

It was very surprising to see police chief Charlie Beck show up at a Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting. It seems that the LAPD is taking these incidents VERY seriously.

A good summary of the evening has been posted at Streetsblog:

https://la.streetsblog.org/2010/06/02...-running-high/

lpolliard

+1000 looks like an legal assembly to me. Everyone in the circle of death should have been detained and cited.

angle

I'm assuming you meant that the ride looks like an illegal assembly.

In that case, the police are required to clearly declare that the assembly is an illegal one and allow the crowd to disperse before making any arrests.

Certainly performing a "circle of death" would entail a number of traffic violations, and the participants would be citable. However, the only mention of the "circle of death" I have heard in connection with this particular incident (and I listened a great deal of testimony from both the LAPD and cyclists who were on the ride during the Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting last night) was on the Channel 7 news report, where they showed unrelated footage of a different ride. The YouTube video plainly shows bicycle riders moving east on Hollywood Blvd., so the cyclists targeted in the video cannot be participating in a "circle of death" at the time the video was shot.

Even in the event that a cyclist runs a red light or fails to use a white headlight, I think it is reasonable to ask if a violent takedown, potentially causing serious injuries, is warranted.

WCoastPeddler

Cops don't hate Critical Mass in my city. I've spoken with several cycling police officers while attending CM and they've all said to me that they don't have a problem with it and that people (in my city) tend to behave themselves quite well on CM rides.

I can appreciate your enthusiasm to slag CM but unless you've been to each city and spoken to police officers who attend CM rides in each of those cities, you're pretty much talking out of your hat.

jsmonet

what city is this? *looks up real estate prices*

grrlyrida

Yea. What city is this? Buellton, Goleta or Ojai? And how many attend? 5, 10, 15?

WCoastPeddler

Vancouver, BC.

grrlyrida

Oh yea. Our cops can beat up your cops.