Oakland Sees Multiple Weekend Sideshows Despite Recent Police Crackdown
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- Several wild sideshows popped up in Oakland once again over this past weekend, despite recent police promises to crack down on the activity harder than ever.
Cars spinning donuts with passengers hanging out of windows, all perilously close to spectators blocking entire intersections in East Oakland. Three sideshows nearly spun out of control on Sunday afternoon.
"I see a bunch of cars doing donuts in the road and I got in the mix of it," said a man who asked not to be identified. He shot cell phone video of one of the sideshows that went unabated for nearly 30 minutes.
"You got these one-ton cars doing donuts in the road and people are reaching out trying to touch it at the same time. So, I think that's pretty crazy. I almost got hit by the Corvette," the man said.
Oakland community advocate Ken Houston says the definition must be changed,
"Not 'sideshow,' not 'sideshow.' Vandalism,' Houston told KPIX5. He wants a space off the streets for drivers to do their tricks.
"It's dangerous because they don't have the k-rails, they don't have the safety. It's a public safety issue for real," explained Houston.
Oakland City Councilmember Noel Gallo agrees that sideshows are a public safety issue. He says the city pays overtime to 27 officers every weekend day to patrol for sideshows to the tune of $700,000 a year. He'd like to see harsher penalties for sideshows.
"Not only am I going to cite the individuals doing the sideshows, confiscate your car, but also the spectators that are part of the sideshow, promoting the sideshow will be cited as well," Gallo said.
When KPIX 5 pressed him on what good citations would be when officers appeared to rarely show up to enforce the law, he replied, "The problem is within our law enforcement. There is serious activity. they will not approach the sideshow with 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 officers; they need to go beyond. That's why we have 27 assigned. It requires sheriff coming together in Oakland with at least 50 officers to address the issue."
After not responding to several phone calls and emails with questions regarding the weekend sideshow activity, OPD eventually issued a statement Monday evening that said, "The Oakland Police Department and the City of Oakland continue efforts to detour illegal sideshow activity. Every weekend we deploy officers (throughout the summer) to focus on illegal sideshow. OPD did take enforcement action with several arrests, cites and tows."
A second email from the department stated that officers made two arrests, wrote 17 citations and towed eight vehicles during Sunday's sideshow activity.