LA Police Chief supports cyclist's rights

[Don49]

Don't know where this will lead, but it can't be bad.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/in-a-first-lapd-chief-vows-to-better-protect-cyclists-train-officers-on-biker-rights.html

[dd74]

That makes sense for Beck, at the very least politically and especially internally.

I've spoken to and interviewed a few bicycle cops with the LAPD. It's a no BS division of the LAPD. They ride fairly high-end Giants that carry a lot of gear, and almost all of the hardcore Metro bike cops are in very good shape. They train in Griffith Park and up around Dodger Stadium. I've seen them chase down cars. :beer:

As a whole, LAPD likes cyclists. So does the City. There's a very large push to make the downtown area cycling friendly with pretty good results.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . but what a concept: Educate their officers to enforce the law equally for all road users like they're supposed to do anyway. Wow.

It's one thing to create "working groups" or "a document that would be included in official department policy outlining officers' responsibilities." It's quite another to actually change the entrenched mindset of too many police officers who think that cyclists--especially serious commuting cyclists--are simply annoyances who shouldn't be on the road anyway.

The really concrete step the chief should take is to make every officer ride a 20 mile bike commute route in rush hour traffic--and I don't mean wearing a uniform and on a bike marked "police." After such an experience and after they put on clean underwear the officers might really change their mindset. :eek:

BBD

[fourflys]

. . . but what a concept: Educate their officers to enforce the law equally for all road users like they're supposed to do anyway. Wow.

It's one thing to create "working groups" or "a document that would be included in official department policy outlining officers' responsibilities." It's quite another to actually change the entrenched mindset of too many police officers who think that cyclists--especially serious commuting cyclists--are simply annoyances who shouldn't be on the road anyway.

The really concrete step the chief should take is to make every officer ride a 20 mile bike commute route in rush hour traffic--and I don't mean wearing a uniform and on a bike marked "police." After such an experience and after they put on clean underwear the officers might really change their mindset. :eek:

BBD

While not defending Police who don't know the bike laws, I'll say this... With all the other laws that exist and the relative tiny percentage of cyclist compared to drivers, would you really expect the Police to spend a lot of time of cycling specific laws? It's kind of like me working medicine... There is no way I can know every threatment for every diagnosis or even every diagnosis... but, I do know where to find the information and, hopefully,s o will the Police.

The other fly in the ointment I see here is this... Do we really want Police to start hardnose enforceing every law on us/for us? Do we all, always stop and put a foot down at stopsigns or always signal when turning? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no... Sometimes, you have to be careful what you ask for...

just sayin'...

[dd74]

. . . but what a concept: Educate their officers to enforce the law equally for all road users like they're supposed to do anyway. Wow.

It's one thing to create "working groups" or "a document that would be included in official department policy outlining officers' responsibilities." It's quite another to actually change the entrenched mindset of too many police officers who think that cyclists--especially serious commuting cyclists--are simply annoyances who shouldn't be on the road anyway.

The really concrete step the chief should take is to make every officer ride a 20 mile bike commute route in rush hour traffic--and I don't mean wearing a uniform and on a bike marked "police." After such an experience and after they put on clean underwear the officers might really change their mindset. :eek:

BBD
Unless a cyclist blatantly breaks a law or otherwise does something else illegal, the LAPD, as far as I have seen, is quite cordial to those on bicycles - sometimes more so than to motorists.

[Lifelover]

Unless a cyclist blatantly breaks a law or otherwise does something else illegal, the LAPD, as far as I have seen, is quite cordial to those on bicycles - sometimes more so than to motorists.


You don't understand. It has to be us against them!

Anyone that does ride a bike dressed in a clown suit, must be out to get us. Aint no damn memo going to change that.

[dd74]

You don't understand. It has to be us against them!

Anyone that does ride a bike dresses in a clown suit, must be out to get us. Aint no damn memo going to change that.
Fixie attitude? ;)

[Dan Le foot]

A few months ago, my wife and I were climbing a very lightly used road in rural North San Diego County. (Couser Canyon) You would see 1 car every hour or so.
We were on a 10% pitch so Michelle was naturally way up the hill. A Cop car blew by me and pulled Michelle over because she wasn't riding close enough to the right side of the road. (There is no shoulder on the road with a fair amount of falling rocks and debris so Michelle was riding a tad big.)
Michelle told the cop that she had the same rights and responsibilities as a car and she felt she was riding as close to the right side of the lane as she felt was safe. She said according to the DMV she should be considered just another vehicle sharing the road.
The cop disagreed and said that a car was for transportation and a bicycle was for pleasure so the car had more rights.
I wish I was there to answer that one. But maybe not. I would probably still be behind bars. :butt:

Dan

[BumbleBeeDave]

Unless a cyclist blatantly breaks a law or otherwise does something else illegal, the LAPD, as far as I have seen, is quite cordial to those on bicycles - sometimes more so than to motorists.

. . . in general, based on years of experience as both a cyclist observing police treatment of cyclists in incidents involving cars and as a journalist for 30 years observing the totally predictable behavior of politicians in general who issue all sorts of feel good statements about appointing committees or "working groups" involving all "stakeholders" that will "study the problem."

I haven't been to LA for 20 years and I'll be the first to admit that this guy might be serious. But based on previous experience, it's all just talk until he provides some concrete action beyond appointing "working groups" to "study the problem."

I'm not optimistic on this subject--but you probably figured that out already! :rolleyes:

BBD

[rugbysecondrow]

. . . in general, based on years of experience as both a cyclist observing police treatment of cyclists in incidents involving cars and as a journalist for 30 years observing the totally predictable behavior of politicians in general who issue all sorts of feel good statements about appointing committees or "working groups" involving all "stakeholders" that will "study the problem."

I haven't been to LA for 20 years and I'll be the first to admit that this guy might be serious. But based on previous experience, it's all just talk until he provides some concrete action beyond appointing "working groups" to "study the problem."

I'm not optimistic on this subject--but you probably figured that out already! :rolleyes:

BBD

I am not one to typically knock 30 years of wisdom, but I also think having a long memory might not be helpful in this instance.

Maybe it is good for me to be inexperienced and niave regarding some of these issues. Maybe I am an optimist or not yet tainted by 30 years of riding or, maybe, things are getting better.

Understanding the past is good, but being able to accept moving forward is necessary for growth.

[toaster]

He deserves a doughnut! :)

[dd74]

. . . in general, based on years of experience as both a cyclist observing police treatment of cyclists in incidents involving cars and as a journalist for 30 years observing the totally predictable behavior of politicians in general who issue all sorts of feel good statements about appointing committees or "working groups" involving all "stakeholders" that will "study the problem."

I haven't been to LA for 20 years and I'll be the first to admit that this guy might be serious. But based on previous experience, it's all just talk until he provides some concrete action beyond appointing "working groups" to "study the problem."

I'm not optimistic on this subject--but you probably figured that out already! :rolleyes:

BBD
Well, Charlie Beck is known as a reformer, much like his predecessor, Bratton. Also, he's who busted up the very corrupt Rampart Division that seemed to be the impetus behind the TV show "The Shield." He's served in a managerial role in every portion of Los Angeles (the City, not County), and probably knows all sorts of ailments within the city, bicycle-related not withstanding. He's genuine. Hopefully it will stick, unlike it has done with our Mayor. :rolleyes:

[BumbleBeeDave]

Understanding the past is good, but being able to accept moving forward is necessary for growth.

I very much want to believe that things are getting better, and I truly believe they are in many locales. As more and more people ride, it's stands to reason that more and more cyclists are also going to end up being people in positions of authority who really do have the power to make a difference and change the reality of how cyclists are treated.

But I also try to be a realist--and the reality I've seen in those 30 years is that local politicians often try to defuse the outrage of local interest groups by uttering soothing platitudes exactly like the ones mentioned in the Beck story. They promise to appoint a committee to study the problem--and that's the last you hear of it. Real change then only takes place when those same local interest groups refuse to be soothed and loudly demand some real action. Cyclists are no different than any other interest group.

I also keep in mind that the reality of an organization is often far different from the way things are supposed to be if you look at the organizational chart or policy manual. It doesn't do any good to write a new policy or stick a new page in the training manual unless people in authority spend some real time making absolutely clear to the rank and file that it had better really be done this way from now on or else . . .

To my mind that's the real problem for cyclists in way too many places. The laws to protect them are on the books. But local police either don't enforce them at all or enforce them unfairly because nobody in authority forces them to do it right.

I fervently hope that dd74 is right and Beck really is a reformer and has the will to carry through where it counts in actually making it happen, not just in talking about making it happen.

BBD

[Don49]

Don't know where this will lead, but it can't be bad.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/in-a-first-lapd-chief-vows-to-better-protect-cyclists-train-officers-on-biker-rights.html

Looks like it didn't turnout so well: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/bicyclist-kicked-lapd-video-bp-protest.html

[BumbleBeeDave]

Looks like it didn't turnout so well: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/bicyclist-kicked-lapd-video-bp-protest.html

. . . looks eerily similar to the one from NYC with the cop there suddenly taking a rider down.

BBD

[palincss]

I've spoken to and interviewed a few bicycle cops with the LAPD. It's a no BS division of the LAPD. They ride fairly high-end Giants that carry a lot of gear, and almost all of the hardcore Metro bike cops are in very good shape. They train in Griffith Park and up around Dodger Stadium. I've seen them chase down cars.


Say, wasn't there a TV show (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Blue_(TV_series)) about that?