Vallejo police working to break up sideshow activity
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
Officers with the Vallejo Police Department are tracking a large sideshow that has splintered off into different groups throughout the city.
The size of the sideshow was not immediately clear, but the group was large enough for the agency to request outside assistance from police departments in Vacaville, Fairfield, Benicia and the Solano County Sheriff’s Office.
Sideshow activity has increased over the last few years, with police in several Solano County cities seeing a spike in the gatherings during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, which occurred during summer months.
The penalties for engaging in illegal sideshows tend to range on the weak side: At most, officers can ticket drivers and impound vehicles, unless a motorist is accused of a stronger crime, like causing bodily harm while driving.
In 2019, state lawmakers attempted to pass a bill that made participating in sideshows a crime in and of itself, with a wide range of penalties depending on if the activity was linked to a misdemeanor or felonious offense.
The bill passed the California Assembly’s Transportation Committee by a vote of 11 to 1, with Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry casting the lone “no” vote. Aguiar-Curry represents the 4th District, which includes Dixon and some rural areas of Solano County.
The proposed legislation ultimately died upon review in another committee.
Earlier this year, a similar bill was introduced that would allow a court to revoke the driver’s license of individuals who are caught participating in a sideshow. That bill has seen broader support, with Aguiar-Curry and other lawmakers overwhelming favoring its passage. (This month, the bill passed the California Senate’s Transportation Committee; it is currently awaiting a reading and vote by the full state senate.)
One limitation of the newer bill: It doesn’t extend to exhibitions performed on city streets, and to prove a conviction, it requires a “display of speed” — or an element of street racing — in order for a person to face the possibility of losing their license.
In the absence of state action, some cities have decided to crack down on illegal sideshows themselves.
In late March, city officials in San Jose approved a measure that colors sideshow participation as a misdemeanor offense. A person convicted of participating in a sideshow there can receive fines or jail time under that city’s law.
Last year, officials in Vallejo said they would crack down on sideshow activity by seizing cars and making arrests. But, to date, few cars have been confiscated by police, and the number of arrests connected to those activities in Vallejo remains low.
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