Thread: Richmond crash underscores policy argument over illegal immi

Richmond crash underscores policy argument over illegal immigrants
By Karl Fischer
West County Times
Article Launched: 09/22/2008 06:23:05 PM PDT

Ricardo Samayoa carried neither a driver's license nor vehicle registration when he barreled through a red light in Richmond on Monday morning behind the wheel of a friend's sport utility vehicle.

The 33-year-old Guatemalan also lacked residency documents — exactly the kind of driver social-justice advocates say Richmond police hunt during their monthly, traffic-stopping checkpoints around the city.

Better believe it, police say.

"We view checkpoints as an important part of stopping hit-and-run accidents and crashes in this city involving people who are not trained to properly operate a motor vehicle and not prepared to take responsibility financially for the damage they cause," police Lt. Mark Gagan said. "This morning's crash was a perfect example."

Samayoa wounded six people, himself most seriously, when he sped through the intersection of Seventh Street and Pennsylvania Avenue about 45 mph and crashed the borrowed GMC Yukon into a Honda containing two women and a pair of 3-year-old girls, police said.

The 7:25 a.m. collision also seriously hurt a 19-year-old woman walking across Seventh with the green light. The Yukon hit her as it flipped on its roof, knocking her about 40 feet, Officer Al DeJesus said. She remained at a hospital Monday evening. Police expect her to survive. The Honda occupants — including the children, who were properly belted into car seats — were not seriously hurt, DeJesus said.

Samayoa was hospitalized with injuries that included a crushed hand: "Apparently, the driver's left arm was protruding from the driver's side window when the vehicle rolled," DeJesus said.

Police have no evidence that alcohol played a role, though an unopened six-pack of beer flew from the SUV and scattered in the street. Passers-by collected the beer before authorities could.

The crash illustrates a problem Richmond police hope to curtail with a regular program of checkpoints: unlicensed and uninsured drivers causing crashes. Police opine, backing their arguments with anecdotes and their observations, that more such drivers clutter local streets than ever before and contribute to a growing number of hit-and-run crashes.

Latino political advocates, meanwhile, contend that state motor-vehicle law discriminates against undocumented immigrants, who cannot obtain driver's licenses. By aggressively enforcing licensing laws with checkpoints, local police further a racist policy and also unfairly target Latinos for traffic stops, they say.

"The bottom line is that there are better uses for our police force than to conduct these checkpoints," Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said. "There is all kinds of serious crime happening out there, and I don't see the purpose of devoting extra resources to driver's license checkpoints when there is so much need elsewhere."

Those points of view met in the street Monday evening, at a police checkpoint planned weeks ago for the corner of Barrett and Gerrard avenues. The Richmond Human Rights Commission, coincidentally, chose the date to observe officers at the checkpoint as part of its regular meeting, part of an investigation of the profiling allegations.

Growing numbers of anti-checkpoint demonstrators wave placards each month in front of Richmond's monthly checkpoints, using Spanish-language signs to warn away motorists. The proximity of the November election also brings out City Council candidates, mostly on the pro-checkpoint side.

"I have lost my temper ... with these people accusing the police of racial profiling," said police Commissioner Chris Tallerico, a City Council candidate. "This is a sanctuary city, and that needs to be stopped. If I am elected, I will introduce legislation that will end Richmond's status as a sanctuary city."

Police deny targeting any group, pointing out that they hold checkpoints all over the city, not just Latino neighborhoods. The City Council also specifically asked the department to continue its checkpoints in the winter.

That may change, however. McLaughlin last month asked the department for data from the past two years' worth of checkpoints, including numbers of citations and vehicles towed, and the surnames of all those cited; the department does not track ethnicity at the checkpoints.

"I haven't gotten any information back. I have sent two reminder e-mails to the chief," McLaughlin said. "I am very concerned about this issue."
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10532905

"I have lost my temper ... with these people accusing the police of racial profiling," said police Commissioner Chris Tallerico, a City Council candidate. "This is a sanctuary city, and that needs to be stopped. If I am elected, I will introduce legislation that will end Richmond's status as a sanctuary city."

I wish my city council members felt this way. That's what I want to see happen here. It was tried, worked very well, too well. Therefore, they don't do it anymore. I feel like I live in South America. It's sad that US citizens have to put up with this Crap! If the laws were really enforced I think it would be much better here.
just my two cents.