On Tuesday, the Richmond City Council will discuss street calming measures to potentially address speeding and sideshows within the City of Richmond.
The item was brought forward by Councilmember Cesar Zepeda noting there are frequent sideshows and high-speed racing causing harm to people, damage to property, and deaths.
According to the agenda item, the council will discuss whether or not to direct staff to immediately evaluate traffic calming measures throughout the City, including along Canal Boulevard, to slow traffic down, and place mitigation measures in at least 6 locations City-wide to prevent drivers of vehicles from performing “donuts” at these intersections, no later than the end of January 2025.
According to the Chiefs Crime Report, there were 8 calls made in August while 15 calls were made in September for sideshows. There were also 330 vehicle crashes over the same two-month period with nearly 50 DUI arrests.
Back on November 9, the Richmond Police Department encountered over 200 participants and over 50 vehicles blocking the street, engaging in sideshow activity. Officers made nine arrests, and four vehicles were impounded for 30 days.
During a Sept. 17 multi-agency traffic enforcement operation, 89 citations were issued in just 3-hours within the City of Richmond according to police.
However, on October 1, 2024, Mayor Eduardo Martinez issued the following letter to the community stating he had concerns over the word “sideshow”. He also has advocated for a space for sideshows to occur legally.
Here is his October 1 letter :
Dear Community,
I want to directly address the recent events involving reckless driving and vandalism at the Auto Plaza, as well as the concerns from our community regarding unlawful vehicle activity. There has also been some misrepresentation of my previous statements, and I want to set the record straight.
Let me be unequivocally clear: I do not support nor condone any unlawful activity in the City of Richmond. Some have taken the opportunity to misinterpret my past comments on vehicle-related activity as approval of these dangerous actions. That could not be further from the truth. I am fully committed to ensuring that our city remains safe for all residents, businesses, and visitors.
I am cautious about the use of the term “sideshow.” I understand that some events qualify as sideshows, which typically involve large groups of participants and spectators, disrupt traffic, create noise nuisances, pollute the air, and can become dangerous. However, I also recognize that not every instance of speeding or burning rubber constitutes a sideshow.
I understand that, in this day and age, there are sects of our society that use certain terms and words as dog whistles to demonize or negatively categorize certain groups in our community. This I will not do. The City has robust laws in place to enforce the law. In my tenure in public office, I have never instructed, nor advised, any public servant to ignore the law.
In terms of action, we are moving to strengthen our response, not only by hiring additional personnel but also by deploying Flock cameras around the city, which will be a key tool in helping our police identify and track down participants more effectively. In addition, we will work with our regional partners to establish effective collaborations to deter or disperse crowds.
It’s important to recognize that sideshows are not just a Richmond problem — they are a regional issue. The recent incident here drew participants from as far away as Fresno, and our officers have recently cited and impounded vehicles from individuals who reside in the Central Valley and Sacramento. These events often move from city to city, and that’s why we need to work with neighboring cities and agencies at every level to address this issue comprehensively.
I know that the Richmond Police Department responded to the incident at the Auto Plaza, but I also recognize that more needs to be done to prevent these events from causing property damage, harming our environment, and threatening public safety. You have my full commitment that we will continue to enhance our efforts through deterrence, enforcement, and regional collaboration.
These lawless actions do not represent the values of our Richmond residents, and we will do everything in our power to protect our community.
Thank you for your continued support.
In community,
Mayor Eduardo
Chiefs Crime Report
Within the chiefs report to the council in Sept/Oct, officers have made nearly 50 DUI arrests. It also included Automated License Plate Reader Statistics through October 31 which include:
- 117 – vehicle recoveries
- 115 – Arrests with the use of LPR
- 337 – cases assisted by LPR
- 14 – license plate recoveries using LPR.
LPR Hot List Reads
- Stolen Plate – 79,982
- Stolen Vehicle – 2,962
- Felony Vehicle – 260
If You Go
Richmond City Council Agenda
Community Services Building
440 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
Agenda – click here
Related Stories:
- Sept. 24 – Governor Newsom Signs Four Bills Aimed at Sideshows
- July 27, 2024 – Antioch Approves Long Awaited Sideshow Ordinance
- July 26, 2024 – Governor Urges Oakland to Reconsider Policy that Limits Police Pursuits
- July 1, 2024 – Brentwood Teen, 6 Others Arrested in San Jose Sideshow Activity
- June 2, 2024 – Antioch Police Impound 6 Vehicles, Make Multiple Arrests During Sideshows
