Dodge_Sniper
Active Member
Lots of reading, no cliff notes, don't bitch.
(This is a different article from ^^)
God, those Cali cops are a bunch of dicks eh? I say screw them, go ahead and modify your car.
California Crackdown on Modified Cars
$5 million in federal money will fund a Sacramento, California effort to stop drivers in modified cars.
Police in Sacramento, California announced Wednesday that they would use $5 million in federal money to begin cracking down on auto enthusiasts who modify their vehicles. The money will be used to form an undercover "Drag-Net" unit to stop motorists who appear to be driving modified cars.
The concept, which originated in San Diego in 2001, has been spreading throughout California generating significant revenue for the state and local departments. In Santa Fe Springs, for example, twelve officers on Drag-Net duty issued 300 citations and impounded 50 vehicles in just one weekend. Several cities have drag-racing ordinances that allow police to auction off seized cars and keep the profits.
Under Drag-Net, San Diego officers come to train other departments how to look out for what they believe to be tell-tale signs of illegal modification such as window tinting, large spoilers, extra gauges or racing stickers. Police say this gives them probable cause to stop and inspect a vehicle and its engine compartment.
In practice, "excessive exaust noise" tickets are the most common violation. California law does not require police to measure sound levels objectively. Instead, according to the California Highway Patrol, the "citation is based on officer's judgment."
Drivers of stock vehicles that come from the factory with some of the characteristics of modified cars have experienced harassment under this provision. One such motorist complained on an enthusiast website that the Calfiornia Highway Patrol was using these programs to make "driving while Asian" a crime, pointing out that the department's own website has several pages dedicated to Asian involvement in street racing and "vehicle modification."
Those receiving a vehicle modification "fix-it" ticket must visit a California Bureau of Automobile Repair office and pay a $35 fee to have their car inspected. If the car fails, a judge can impose another fine of up to $2000 for failing to meet California emissions requirements.
Related Reports: Red light camera study roundup
Article Excerpt:
"We're looking to make a heavy impact on speeding and street racing in this area," Sacramento Police Deputy Chief Steve Segura said during a press conference with local and state officials on Del Paso Road in North Natomas.
Source: Area law enforcers to receive training to combat street racing (Sacramento Bee, 8/4/2005)
(This is a different article from ^^)
Here's the prelims for what's in store. For us guys in Sacramento who don’t have a clue, the cops are coming down on modified imports like a ton of bricks, its going to be unlike anything you have ever experienced when the cop has pulled you over. Allot of what is in store for Sactown is based off the SDPD Drag-Net program, with new tactics and revisions skirting civil rights, I mean on the very fringe of your rights
The local cops are going to get a course on a few textbook things:
*Identifying Illegal Engine & Vehicle Modifications
*Engine & Transmission Number Tampering and Detection
*Enforcement Tactics for Engine Modifications
*"Hands-On" Practical Experience Inspecting Modified Vehicles
*Racer Related Insurance Fraud and Auto Theft
*Using Local and State Legislation to Solve the Problem
*Modifying Streets to Deter Racing
*Preparing for Mass Arrests
*Investigating Street Races and Seizures of Racer Vehicles
Now, with anything in the local government sector, it takes some time to phase it in. There is going to be several phases of the crackdown starting with the most obvious and narrowing down to the organized street race scene. When the full blunt force of the team kicks in, they are going to hit hard and heavy, it’s going to be the talk of the town. They plan on sending their message right away. The cops are going to do their homework in rounding up information. What you can expect is the following:
* - Trolling local car websites to target meet spots and drives.
You want to talk about low blow? Websites will be monitored for what is blatantly obvious, to go to the area of meet, trap the cars, inspect, ticket or impound modified cars.
* - Video taping of modified vehicles and license plates at Sacramento Raceway and import car show venues within the county.
Undercover cops will be there video taping modified cars running on the track as well as parked cars. With video evidence in hand, the plates are run through the system where the cops may send out a letter warning you of the mods on the car and/or schedule an unexpected DOT inspection of your car at home.
* - Street crackdown
With their newly found mad profiling skilz, they will pull you over. Nab you on front license plate BS if its not installed, stickers placed on the windshield and rear glass, LED glow kits, ride height being at least 22.5 inches from ground to bottom of headlight and more. Next comes the fine tooth comb, plan on being stopped for a while because they are going through everything now. Non approved intake, headers, exhaust, Naaawwwsss, etc.
Depending on how many violations they stick you for, will lead to fines and fees up the butt till that car is stock again when you go see the mandatory Referee for inspection and testing. Worse cases an automatic impound plus the Referee.
Get ready for unscheduled road blocks, IE, cop cars blocking the way with their lights on. The purpose of this is to trap cars into an area where each and every car will be fine tooth combed, ticketed and impounded. Currently, the DUI checkpoints already do this, but now there’s going to be more of them with the purpose of trapping cars.
* - Hangout crackdown
You can't just sit and chill with the guys talking cars without being DOT inspected now. Going on a tipoff from an undercover who mingled in the crowd or spotted you, cops will block in all parked cars and every car will be fine tooth combed. Violators might get lucky with a ticket, but what they are really after is the revenue generated by the impounds and I mean lots of impounds. The will have the tow trucks lined up ready to take cars.
If you are hooked on the underground racing scene in Sacramento, your days are numbered. Everyone knows that if you are caught racing you automatically loose your car, well now you are looking at jail time. Get ready for bait cars to lure you into a trap. Undercovers will now be mingled in with the crowd to listen in for the race spot, video tape your face if possible, your car and license plates. If, for some reason, they weren’t able to make the bust at the race site, the cops will compile the video info of plates captured, get an arrest warrant for you at your home and impound your car. Yes, this is now coming to Sacramento mostly targeting Friday and Saturday nights well into the early hours of the morning.
this ****ty state is spending 5 million bucks to train officers how to profile asians in their ricers...oops i mean stop street racing.
its all about the money....
this is from another board, a guy with an S10 pickup with a turboed LS-1 in it got pulled over
"got pulled over cuse i was too low, and the lady cop was signing the ticket and the guy got out and said, "rip that up this trucks a race car." so she ripped the ticket up and he asked me if i would pop my hood. i said no cuse he has no reason to do so. and he got pissed pulled me out of the car and sat my ass on the curb. then he asked for my keys and said im poping your hood, and i said no your not. i want your superrior here now. so he poped it anyways. the superrior finally got there and asked me what the problome was. cop said, "well i was looking at his truck and it looked like a race truck to me so i am checking it out." and i said, "well since you pulled me over for being lowered, i dont belieave you are justified to determine my truck is a race truck, i wasnt speeding, racing, burning out or getting sideways." "so tell me where he had the right to search my car?" and the superrior said well the exhaust is a little loud. so i said, "yeh i belieave that is justification to cite me for a noise violation, not a warrant to search my truck. and the superrior said, and i quote, "I AGREE WITH YOU." he said if it was in his hands he wouldve dropped it but since it was in the other cops hands it was his choice to do as he pleased.
i then brought up the point that, "if you drive by a house and think it has drugs, can you search it?" he said no. then i shut him up by asking, "then why is it that you can "think" my truck is modified and be allowed to search it without a warrant?"
God, those Cali cops are a bunch of dicks eh? I say screw them, go ahead and modify your car.
