Snips and scat

Here's some snips. Good reminders to stay out of trouble.
------NY. If you took a drive on 690, 81 or 481 Friday night, chances are
you saw all the police cruisers lined up clocking speeds. Eight police
agencies teamed up to put cops on the ground and in the air to bust reckless
motorcyclists. The mission was called Operation Eagle Eye.

Motorcycles are easy to see, but when they’re speeding, police say they’re
very hard to catch. That’s where the county’s Air One Helicopter came into
play, helping to spot and track speeding or reckless motorcycle drivers.

Several motorcycles were stopped on highways and exit ramps. In some cases,
police not only ticketed the driver, but also had the motorcycle towed from
the scene of the stop.

Operation Eagle Eye comes several weeks after a State Trooper was killed in
a crash while pursuing a speeding motorcycle.

Some bikers say the trooper’s death has translated into police harassment.

Officers on patrol Friday night say they’re simply trying to send a message
to bikers to play by the rules.

More police missions are planned for the summer...............





With a picturesque Civic Center pond and fountain as a backdrop, the
Fairfield Police Department announced Wednesday the details of a
multi-agency law enforcement operation recently kicked off in the city.

The new crime suppression effort, "Street Crime Apprehension Team" (SCAT),

(let me just repeat that acronym: SCAT. Don't even think about making a
joke about shitty law enforcement policies......how
humiliating.......laughingstock quality)

is a combined partnership of nine different agencies, creating the largest
police street enforcement operation in the history of Solano County. The
basis of the operation: Massive deployment of manpower. "We really have two
choices when it comes to crime," said Fairfield Police Chief Bill Gresham.
"We either sit back and let crime occur in our community or we take a stand
and fight back." The crackdown, which was initiated "without hoopla and
fanfare" June 1, is in response to a surge of violence that plagued the city
earlier this year. Goals of the operation include a focus on making an
immediate impact on crime by putting criminals in jail as well as disrupting
and dismantling criminal activities in the city. So far, officials said, the
operation has been successful. Officers have made more than 1,500 traffic
stops and 391 arrests in just the past two weeks. "When you put an
additional 40, 50, sometimes 60 additional officers on the street it's going
to make an impact," Gresham said. Fairfield Police, California Highway
Patrol, Solano County Sheriff and Suisun City Police vehicles lined up next
to one of the operation's highlights - an H-40 helicopter now bearing
Fairfield PD's logo - as Gresham addressed a group of reporters and
citizens. "One of the greatest success stories of the SCAT operation will be
the working relationships that are developed and the partnerships formed
with the greater law enforcement community," he said. The Solano County
District Attorney's office, Solano County Probation, U.S. Marshall's
Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the California Department
of Corrections and Rehabilitation have also joined the effort. Fairfield
Mayor Harry Price commended the 50 or so officers crowded behind the podium
for their efforts and said that the past two weeks are just the beginning.
"It's not just a catch-and-release (effort)," Price said, adding that the
city plans to prosecute aggressively.





Around noon Sunday, CHP motor Officer Kirk Griess spotted two speeding
motorcycles on eastbound Interstate 80 near American Canyon Road. He
pursued, signaling both motorcycles to the shoulder. Instead, the lead bike
fled and the second motorcycle followed suit. Fellow motor Officer William
Lee stopped a motorcycle matching the suspect's on westbound I-80 at
Columbus Parkway. Then, realizing the rapidly approaching bike was the
suspect's, he stepped off his motorcycle and attempted a traffic stop. The
driver, later identified as Aton, accelerated toward Lee, who was unable to
seek shelter elsewhere. Fearing for his life, officials said, Lee fired once
at Aton, who sped off.On Tuesday, a tip led officials to Aton's home.
Because he is on probation and subject to search, officials were able to
probe his home. Around 7:30 p.m., they arrested Aton at his residence and
seized the motorcycle used in the assault, a motorcycle stolen from Napa, 39
mature marijuana plants in three 3-foot-tall boxes and a Glock firearm.

(Bikes, weed, and a Glock. What other lifestyle displays so little concern
for self-jeopardy.......)



"Street-racing incidents are difficult to track because the charge is not
specifically identified by most police jurisdictions, which usually
categorize them under "speeding." In the aftermath of an accident, racers
may prefer to tell police they were speeding, not racing. Reliable witnesses
are often hard to find, and many cases are not reported or can't be proved."
("No, officer, I was not racing or speeding, I was just
power-commuting....."




While the nation reels from the news that Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback,
24-year-old Ben Roethlisberger, almost ended his life in a motorcycle
accident Sunday night, local law enforcement officials lamented two bad
accidents near Incline this weekend, one resulting in a fatality. Some
officials say the number of motorcycle accidents in the village appear to be
up as well. Incline resident Robert Gryphon was injured in a near head-on
motorcycle collision at the intersection of College Drive and State Route
431 Friday evening. He remains hospitalized as of press time Tuesday. The
cause of the accident is still under investigation, but officials said
visibility, speed and road conditions are always likely factors. An
accident near the summit of Mt. Rose Sunday afternoon killed 57-year-old
Donald Walton of Reno. Walton died when he lost control of his motorcycle
while negotiating a corner and was thrown from the bike, law enforcement
officials reported. The accident is also still under investigation. "It
seems like early on here, there have been more (motorcycle accidents) than
what we're used to seeing," said Sgt. Pam Keller with the Washoe County
Sheriff's Office Incline Village Substation. Though Keller said she was
unsure exactly why there's been an increase of motorcycle accidents locally,
she cited the warm weather and ideal driving conditions; high gas prices and
motorcycles' fuel efficiency; and drivers' delayed reaction times when
encountering motorcycles versus other vehicles. "With these nice days and
good driving conditions, it seems like people are rushing to get out and get
into summer," Keller said. "Lots of people are on their bikes. It would be
nice if people were a little more aware when driving (cars) - motorcycle
drivers are going to be on the worst end of these accidents." More than 150
Nevada motorcycle riders died in crashes since 2002, 17 of those since
January of this year, according to the National Highway Safety
Administration. Over the last two years, nine motorcyclists have died in
Washoe County alone.

Fatal motorcycle crashes are the only category of accidents that have
increased over the past seven years on America's highways. (!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Hmmm. I'm guessing the diminished size of the safety envelope between
vehicles )

"In an average year I would say we get at least a half-dozen (motorcycle
accidents)," said NLTFPD battalion chief Greg McKay. "They're not all
fatalities, but most of them are a combination of the motorist not seeing
them, them going too fast or hitting gravel on the roadway." Most
motorcycle accidents around Incline Village are serious because of the
amount of traffic, said North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Assistant
Chief Mike Brown. "We normally get accidents like these this time of year
because of the nice weather," Brown said. "People want to get out and ride
their bikes but when you ride you've got to be aware of the conditions and
your surroundings at all times." The Washoe County Sheriff's Office Motors
Unit employs nearly 15 officers who patrol local roads on motorcycles and
enforce helmet laws and other unique safety standards. "It's illegal in
Nevada to pass between vehicles," said Nevada Department of Safety, Highway
Patrol Division spokesman Chuck Allen. "Even though it's an accepted
practice in California, it's illegal here." According to a report from the
National Highway Safety Administration almost two-thirds of motorcycle
deaths in the United States are associated with speeding and more than half
of the riders killed were not wearing helmets. "Helmet use among fatally
injured motorcyclists was below 50 percent," the report stated. Both Walton
and the man injured in the accident near Incline were wearing helmets.
Allen said the Nevada Department of Safety, Highway Patrol Division has
numerous motorcycle safety courses, issues countless media advisories each
season and always warns motorcyclist to "be aware of their surroundings at
all times." "The key points for drivers are that motorcycles are harder to
see from a vehicle so always check and double check your lane changes,"
Allen said. "They can downshift to slow down and don't always use their
brake lights so always keep a safe following distance."For riders it's a
good idea to run with your lights on so other drivers can see you, always be
aware of the road conditions and your surroundings, never pass between
vehicles and always wear a helmet."