Public Safety Subcommittee
August 17, 2022

Santa Rosa Police Department
Sideshow Response
1 Public Safety Subcommittee Meeting
August 17,2022
John Cregan, Chief of Police
Jeneane Kucker, Lieutenant
Sideshow Definition
• A sideshow is an informal exhibition of automotive stunts often held in vacant lots, and public intersections.
• Common activities at sideshows include spinning doughnuts, which are exhibitions of speed in combination with loss of tire traction, as well as other reckless driving maneuvers.
• Often crowds of spectators are in close proximity of the reckless driving exhibitions.
2 Sideshow Definition cont.
• Violent incidents, including fights and shootings, often occur at the events.
• Suspects and spectators involved in these events frequently flee the scene, resulting in high-speed vehicle pursuits. • Side show exhibitions have impeded law enforcement’s ability to intervene in an active incident.
3 Tactical Challenges
• Sideshows present similar challenges to that of a riot. • In addition to riotous behavior participants are in vehicles which can be used as weapons and makes them mobile.
• Sideshow participants attempt to take over locations with an overwhelming amount of people and vehicles in order to
impede law enforcement from intervening.
• Participants are commonly armed with firearms and shoot them in the air.
4 Strategies
Enforcement:
• Traffic citations.
• Officers cite participants that do no rise to the level of an arrest for vehicle code infractions.
• Increased patrols and enforcement campaigns.
• Overtime operations.
• Collaboration with allied agencies.
• Intel to detect upcoming events for resource planning. • Training staff on enforcement codes and techniques.
• Using technology as a force-multiplier.
5 Strategies
Impounds:
• The vehicle code allows the impounding of vehicles without the need to identify the driver. Officers attempt to identify license plate numbers and follow-up in the days following sideshows to tow vehicles with a court order.
• Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) has towed over 60 vehicles associated with illegal sideshows.
6 Strategies
Traffic Engineering and Botts Dots:
• Police worked with Traffic and Engineering to identify approximately 30 intersections impacted by sideshows to install Botts Dots devices.
• Botts Dots dissuade, but do not prevent sideshows.
• Relatively inexpensive compared to other controls such as roundabouts.
7 Strategies
Education and Engagement:
• Working with our Community Engagement Team.
• Education campaigns with our Public Information Officer to promote dangers of sideshows as well as successes in
managing sideshow incidents.
• Working with local car clubs who denounce sideshow
activities.
• Working with local businesses to install deterrents in parking lots.
• Beat lieutenants are being assigned projects when sideshows impact their areas.
8 Strategies
Statutes and Legislation:
• California Assembly Bill 3 is upcoming legislation which would suspend licenses of drivers participating in a sideshow (2025). • SRPD is drafting a sideshow spectator ordinance scheduled to go before City Council on October 11, 2022
9 Sideshow Spectator Ordinance
• State law provides inadequate tools to address the problem, several cities have enacted “sideshow” ordinances.
• Creation of a “Reckless Driving Exhibition Ordinance” similar to San Jose’s city ordinance and adapted by Vallejo and Fairfield.
• Code 10-26.030 - Spectators Prohibited at Street Races and Reckless Driving Exhibitions.
• Unlawful for a person to be knowingly present as a spectator (i.e. within 200’) at a sideshow or preparations for a sideshow. • Unlawful to encourage or promote a sideshow (this includes social media postings). Violation is punishable with a fine of up to $1000 and/or six months in jail.
10 Strategies
Sonoma County Law Enforcement Chiefs
Association:
• SRPD is taking the lead in Sonoma County to get all police agencies on the same page when addressing dangerous
sideshow activity.
• SRPD has developed well organized techniques and tactics to resolve sideshow incidents with maximum safety and
efficiency, and to create universal procedures that enable consistent responses to sideshows county-wide.
• The protocol has already been implemented verbally between agencies. All Sonoma County agencies are participating. The written agreement was presented on August 4, 2022.
11 Questions?
12