Ducati drawing unwanted police attention

[ZDM]

Originally Posted by mpayne

I'm a motorcycle enthusiast that happens to be a law enforcement officer, specifically a traffic enforcement unit. The motorists that get my professional attention are the ones that deserve it, be they on two or four or more wheels. I couldn't have put it any better than Motard-Menace already did. The ones that attract my personal attention are usually riding a Ducati, BMW or Triumph.

I was in law enforcement for many years...so are you saying that a BMW, Ducati or Triumph attract your attention because they are unusual and rare to see on the road, not because of operator behavior?
And I agree w/ you, there are plenty of drivers violating the vehicle code that there is no need to target any specific type of vehicle be it a bike or car. However I always went easy on motorcyclists, even the occasional wheelying squid. Most of the time I really never received any attitude from a motorcyclist, but more times than not a cager would a bit impolite. I found that interesting!

[998mike]

I bought a Red 2002 998 mono that the previous owner made into A Larry Pegram Replica including numbers and to my surprise have not been bothered by the police. But then again I do m ost my riding on the backroads and try not to be an ass on the street. The nice thing about a v-twin is that even when you're hammering it it still sounds slow.

[desmo2]

Even a full system is not as loud and obnoxious as a Harley with straight pipes.

Ducati owners and enthusiasts tend to be a bit more mature and older than the average Japanese sportbike rider. When pulled over, a rider who is a bit older will often get a little more leniency. Perhaps it has something to do with the perception by many police officers that sport bike riders are young speed demons who are short on maturity but have plenty of horsepower and performance.

Ultimately, the color of the bike has much less to do with getting pulled over than the attitude at the controls of that bike.

[Motard-Menace]

Originally Posted by jcns

given current economy situation in California, budget shortage, cops have also become revenue collectors. They will pull anyone who might be suspect and provide a revenue opportunity.
Cops are also people and some of them have issues with motorcycles.
CA state passed a legislation that will collect an extra $25/infraction.
Coming home friday eve, I was behind this guy with no mirrors, license plate hidden in front of the rear tire, no rear blinkers. Zx-10 R.
The new wave of squids/stunters on public roads has drawn more attention to sportbikes.
Loud pipes save lives have drawn attention to all bikes.
At the chance of sounding cheesy, perferct storm. Budget shortage, squids/stunters or stunters wannabes, loud pipes. We are all paying for it now.

Although some of your statement is correct, I always find the revenue collector issue funny and without merit. You see this comment all the time like police officers are getting a cut of the money from the citation or something. In 10 years of working as a police officer in a large department I can tell you that I have never once been told that I need to write more tickets or generate more revenue. For one most states have a form of diversion for your first citation (here is Az you can do the defensive driving thing once every two years) and that money goes to the school with a very small portion going to the states general fund. Not enough to even think about really. States have effin photo radar to generate revenue, they don't need officers for that.

I stop 10-20 vehicles per shift (motor officer) and the only peolpe who get citations are the drunks because that is my primary job, locate and arrest DUI's. When I stop you for a traffic infraction and you are sober its a warning and have a nice night. If you are intoxicated however you will be coming with me. Very rarely do I write a traffic citation unless it is someone doing something way out of line. Last ticket I wrote was a kid in a eurocar doing 88mph in 40mph zone. Of course it was a criminal ticket too. I too am pretty easy on the motorcyclists giving warnings. I will stop you however and have a discussion about no mirrors, no eye protection or the famous license plate mounted where you can't see it. Better have a m/c endorsement though otherwise I am not quite as nice.....

[Smart1]

Originally Posted by Motard-Menace

I always find the revenue collector issue funny and without merit. You see this comment all the time like police officers are getting a cut of the money from the citation or something. In 10 years of working as a police officer in a large department I can tell you that I have never once been told that I need to write more tickets or generate more revenue.

I wish I could say that was true where I work but I can't. While there is no actual number given we are constantly pressured to write more tickets. If you want to get promoted or considered for special training etc that is something they look at. I guess that's why I'm still a patrolman after 19 years.

[Artistimo]

I've had my retro 999 out since spring and I've been pulled over a half dozen times already. Mostly it's for the exhaust but today I got pulled by a very irritated cop who said I made an illegal U-turn but I knew I didn't so I protested and he finally gave up and let me go. There was a hairy moment though when I realized I forgot my wallet and he was trying to find my info in the computer. He thought my bike was stolen because the plates didn't match the bike. I put the wrong plate on the bike when it was done and didn't realize it. He was talking about having it towed... But he got another call and let it go.

[MTScott2]

Been pulled over once , in town doing 25 KPM ,Sunday morning no reason just to check to see if I was drinking . Let her do her thing , see you later ,nice day. She wanted to know the correct pronunciation of Ducati, I said close enuff , depends where you are from.I said be sure to tell the Cops you pulled a Red Ducati over , they will be impresed...Slow day, rookie about 23 years old, Knockout good looks..Wasn't a bad experience..
When ever I get pulled over I tend to think of all the times that they could have caught me ,I've been lucky ....Depends where you preform the infractions...
I talk to them as equals not down to them or up to them ...

[mpayne]

Originally Posted by Bruce19
"So you're not one of those officers who fabricated those charges against that female motorist in FL?
bruce19"


Not sure what you're referring to here Bruce.



Originally Posted by ZDM
"I was in law enforcement for many years...so are you saying that a BMW, Ducati or Triumph attract your attention because they are unusual and rare to see on the road, not because of operator behavior?
ZDM"


Actually my post referred to my "personal attention" (as opposed to my professional attention) being attracted by BMW, Ducati and Triumph as those are the three brands that I own.

[captaingumby]

Several years ago California passed a law to the effect that one half of the money from traffic fines went into the state general fund. Also in the same law if you generate less ticket money then the previous year you make up the difference out of your counties general fund. Now when you have a law like that tickets are just a tax and peace officers just tax billing agents. The courts are the tax collectors.

[mappieclead]

Originally Posted by mpayne

Originally Posted by Bruce19
"So you're not one of those officers who fabricated those charges against that female motorist in FL?
bruce19"


Not sure what you're referring to here Bruce.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Video captures Hollywood police discussing crash cover-up
A jumpy cat caused a distraction, report says
By Tonya Alanez

Staff Writer

11:24 AM EDT, July 29, 2009

HOLLYWOOD

After a Hollywood police officer rear-ended a car in February and then arrested the driver on drunken driving charges, he and other officers talked about doctoring the report -- it said a jumpy cat created a distraction -- to cover up the crash.

The exchange was recorded by a dashboard camera in one of the patrol cars. The officers apparently didn't realize the camera was on.

"I don't want to make things up ever, because it's wrong, but if I need to bend it a little bit to protect a cop, I'm gonna," one of the officers can be heard saying. "We'll do a little Walt Disney to protect the cop because it wouldn't have mattered because she is drunk anyway."

Alexandra Gabriela Torrensvilas, 23, of Hollywood, ended up being charged with four counts of drunken driving and cited for an improper lane change.

On Tuesday, Hollywood police officials placed Officer Dewey Pressley, 42; Officer Joel Francisco, 36; Sgt. Andrew Diaz, 39; and civilian Community Service Officer Karim Thomas, age unavailable, on administrative duty pending an internal affairs investigation and a review by the Broward State Attorney's Office, said spokesman Lt. Scott Pardon.

Francisco was driving the police car in the crash; Pressley wrote the report and made the arrest.

Pressley's report detailing the Feb. 17 midnight crash in the 2800 block of Sheridan Street said "a large gray stray cat" that had been sitting on Torrensvilas' lap jumped out of her car window and distracted her, causing her to veer into Francisco's lane, where she abruptly braked, and Francisco's car hit hers.

"I will do the narrative for you," one of the officers says on the tape. "I know how I am going to word this, the cat gets him off the hook."

Torrensvilas' attorney, Larry Meltzer, said this is a disturbing "abuse of power."

"Actually seeing it transpire on video in front of you, it really kind of sickens you," Meltzer said. "It's really nauseating to sit there and watch your client's rights go out the window."

Torrensvilas' four DUI charges carry a maximum penalty of nearly three years in jail, Meltzer said.

He declined to say what will become of her case: "In my opinion, as of this time, it's being handled appropriately."

A spokesman for the Broward State Attorney's Office declined to comment on the case or how it will proceed.

Pressley, a 21-year veteran of the agency, wrote that when Francisco approached Torrensvilas' car after the crash, she blurted: "It just jumped out."

The "it" was the cat that had been sitting on her lap while she drove, the report said.

Francisco, who has been with the agency for nearly 11 years, smelled "a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage."

Public Defender Howard Finkelstein on Tuesday sent a letter to Hollywood Police Chief Chadwick Wagner calling for answers and accountability.

"Not only did these officers make a conscious decision to shift the blame to this young woman, but they made a concerted effort to write a narrative to fit 'their facts,' " Finkelstein wrote. He said his office has at least 27 pending cases in which these four officers are listed as material state witnesses.

Pardon, the police department's spokesman, declined to respond to the allegations. "We'll see where the investigation goes," he said.

Tonya Alanez can be reached at tealanez@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4542.

Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel