Vallejo police cracking down on violations of seat belt law

This an example of how cities and local governments, by using excessive law enforcement, will make up the financial shortfalls in the city coffers...be aware of your civil rights people, they will slowly erode in a worsening economy. Equip your vehicles with video and audio to backup your case. And buckle your seat belts.

Mel wrote:

This an example of how cities and local governments, by using excessive law enforcement, will make up the financial shortfalls in the city coffers...be aware of your civil rights people, they will slowly erode in a worsening economy. Equip your vehicles with video and audio to backup your case. And buckle your seat belts.

Just obey the law Mel, and stop being paranoid about an encounter with the police.

Facts Jack wrote:

<quoted text>Just obey the law Mel, and stop being paranoid about an encounter with the police.

Work in a courtroom Jack...police lie all the time, they are allowed to erase tapes and assist in convictions on their word alone. Just letting people know they should always protect their rights as citizens. And, by the way, I always buckle up and I did tell people to buckle up. I do not advocate breaking the law.

Why don't the Vallejo Police crack down on all of the police and sheriff officers using a cell phone without a headset? I see that all of the time. In fact one day I watched a Sheriff officer not using the cell phone, but he was on the laptop as well at the intersection of Lemon Street and Curtola Parkway. He was just chatting it up and laughing as he was scanning something on the laptop, attempting to drive when the light turned green. The other day I saw another police office just cracking laughing and chatting away on his cell phone. I thought you'd could only use your phone in that manner if it was an emergency? I guess it is the do as I say and not as I do law!

Making money from crime. Good idea, the police earn their keep. Now fellas get after the drivers who still are using cell phones while driving. There must be hundreds of little laws that need enforcement, as long as the law is on the books enforce it. It might be handy to warn the public in advance, the certian laws that have not be enforced in the past and the public thinks that they don't count anymore will be enforced now do the budget crisis and the violaters will be helping their community by paying their fines.

Mel wrote:

<quoted text>
Work in a courtroom Jack...police lie all the time, they are allowed to erase tapes and assist in convictions on their word alone. Just letting people know they should always protect their rights as citizens. And, by the way, I always buckle up and I did tell people to buckle up. I do not advocate breaking the law.

When you don't do anything to warrant an encounter with the corrupt police, then you have nothing to worry about, so just act right and have no problems.

Not the Real Mayor Either wrote:

<quoted text>When you don't do anything to warrant an encounter with the corrupt police, then you have nothing to worry about, so just act right and have no problems.

This is not always true when law enforcement has an agenda. Some innocent people will undoubtedly get caught up in the net. It may depend on something as simple as whether the officer got his latte with foam when he asked for no foam that morning. I still maintain that you always protect yourself and your rights and buckle up.

given the a$$holishness of a cop they could give you any # of tickets. I use to have a 66 fastback after highschool & would mess around on springs road. I was pulled over having to much tread sticking out under the rear fender, then he sat in my car & said the fire ext. that was clamped on my rollbar blocked the rear view. I told him it doesn't block mine because I was a lot taller then him. what a mistake. he wrote me up for no smog.( in 66 they only had an egr valve) then he went on to messure the ride height on the front fenders. he used a cigarette box.

I have a cousin thats a c.h.p. & he told me they have bets to see who can give the most petty ticket. he thought he had a good one by giving a ticket for a burned out lic. plate light. the winner gave a ticket to someone for not having enough rubber on the windshield wiper blade on the rear of car.

sure the law is the law. but how many would say "gee the cop is right I do need a new rear window wiper blade"

Mel wrote:

This an example of how cities and local governments, by using excessive law enforcement, will make up the financial shortfalls in the city coffers...be aware of your civil rights people, they will slowly erode in a worsening economy. Equip your vehicles with video and audio to backup your case. And buckle your seat belts.

I agree...when I lived in a prominately white community, we never go pulled over for anything. As soon as we moved back to Vallejo, we got pulled driving Hwy 37 for something stupid like tented windows.

Em... that's really important! Must be another overtime grant? On the other hand it allows for stopping vehicles and uncovering other crimes.

Facts Jack,

It's time for you to change your name again.

Aren't front driver and passenger tinted windows illegal in California?

also

It's not like the seatbelt law was just put in effect. Been almost 20 years now since that law has been put into practice. The idiot light on your dashboard even tells you to buckle up.

they were not tinted in the front.

and then after they looked us up, they let us be.

You see in our previous town we had white priviledge. We lost that priviledge as soon as we came to Vallejo.

The police are exempt from the cell phone law. They are allowed to talk on the phone while driving, they don't needs a hands free. That is the way legislatures wrote the law. The laptop is part of the daily function of an officer. Just like you have a computer on your desk, the car is their desk. They receive their calls for service on the computer, check DMV records, wanted persons check, and have email to send to other officers on the streets to pass on alerts for people/cars etc...

Mel - you have a good point. where do i get such devices?
Chevelle - great story. I too have many friends/family that are cops. Talk about being so bored that they invent reasons to pull you over. This is not to bash all cops, but last time I checked it was illegal to sell crack in downtown Vallejo - couldn't the "grant" be better spent?!

The click it or ticket program is intended to educated the motoring public through enforcement of the seatbelt laws. We all know seatbelts save lives. The belt has to be worn correctly, not with the shoulder strap under one arm, the driver is responsible for everyone wearing their seatbelt or the driver can get cited for a passenger not wearing a belt, cars with automatic seatbelts on the door - you must also wear your lap belt or you can get a ticket for not having your lap belt on. Passengers can get tickets for no wearing their seatbelts. It is not a tough law to follow but it can get expensive.

1st violation is about $90
2nd -$140
3rd -$225

Child seat violation range from $125-$400 for first offenses.

Jeezuz wrote:

Mel - you have a good point. where do i get such devices?
Chevelle - great story. I too have many friends/family that are cops. Talk about being so bored that they invent reasons to pull you over. This is not to bash all cops, but last time I checked it was illegal to sell crack in downtown Vallejo - couldn't the "grant" be better spent?!

Currently working with an engineering friend on a low cost video and audio recording device that would mount easily in a vehicle. One defendent in court provided video of his stop in court from his cell phone. Officer testified to saying one thing, however video testified differently...result? Case dismissed. Many ways to record a stop and in this day of youtube and internet, at least it helps keep law enforcement honest.

If your car did not originally come with seat belts you are not required to wear them (Ca DMV Code 27315 f.).