On Monday, the Pittsburg Metropolis Council will take up an ordinance aiming to ban spectators at unlawful velocity contests, exhibitions of velocity or sideshows.

Present State legislation doesn’t enable for enforcement on non-public property, the place many of those occasions happen.

The proposed ordinance would prohibit spectators at unlawful road racing occasions, present discover as to what actions are lawful and illegal, and establish penalties for violations of this ordinance. In response to unlawful road racing and sideshow actions, a number of cities have adopted ordinances banning spectators at road racing occasions. These cities have reported that these ordinances are an efficient instrument to fight harmful actions and to restrict spectator involvement at road racing, exhibitions of velocity, and sideshows.

Per the Ordinance:

It’s illegal for any particular person to:

A. Be knowingly current as a spectator at an unlawful motorized vehicle velocity contest, exhibition of velocity, or sideshow; or

1. Be knowingly current as a spectator the place preparations are being made for an unlawful motorized vehicle velocity contest, exhibition of velocity, or sideshow.

B. A person is current at an unlawful motorized vehicle velocity contest, exhibition of velocity, or sideshow if that particular person is on a public road or freeway, public property, or on non-public property with out the consent of the proprietor, operator, or agent thereof, and is inside 200 (200) ft of the placement of the occasion or inside 200 (200) ft of the placement the place preparations are being made for the occasion.

10.61.040 Enforcement.
Any one who violates this chapter is responsible of a misdemeanor topic to a most of six (6) months in jail and a high quality of $1,000, except on the discretion of the district legal professional, the violation is decreased to an infraction. Town might search compliance with this chapter by any treatment allowed beneath this code and some other treatment allowed by legislation, together with however not restricted to the executive quotation procedures set forth in PM 1.20.030. The quantity of the executive high quality is $1,000 for every violation.

Per the Employees Report:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Automobile exhibitions and road racing have been a recurring concern for the well being and security of motorists, pedestrians, and residents within the Metropolis. These actions have brought about deadly collisions, property injury and visitors congestion; making a public nuisance. Unlawful velocity contests, exhibitions of velocity, and sideshows pose a transparent hazard to the residents of the Metropolis and the motoring public touring on the roadways inside the Metropolis. Present State legislation doesn’t enable for enforcement on non-public property, the place many of those occasions happen. The aim of the proposed ordinance is to ban spectators at unlawful racing occasions with the goal of considerably curbing the felony exercise

BACKGROUND
Sideshows and road racing occasions have turn into a constant difficulty for legislation enforcement. Bigger cities within the Bay Space and the Central Valley have seen a rise within the frequency of those unlawful road racing actions. Avenue racing threatens the well being and security of the general public, interferes with the pedestrian and vehicular visitors, and creates a public nuisance. As well as, there have been quite a few examples of those occasions being accompanied by gunfire, which may typically end in loss of life and critical accidents.

At velocity contests and exhibitions of velocity, road racers speed up to excessive speeds with out regard to oncoming visitors, pedestrians, or autos parked or transferring close by. In most conditions, sideshows entice a whole bunch of spectators to assemble on the streets late at night time and within the early morning hours, blocking the streets and sidewalks to visitors, to kind a racetrack space for stunt or reckless driving. The spectators present safety to these drivers by blocking roadways, which prevents legislation enforcement from approaching or contacting the reckless drivers. The spectators present vital motivation for the
sideshows, as the gang measurement and participation encourage the precise drivers to interact within the exercise

STAFF ANALYSIS
Automobile Code sections 23103 by way of 23109 present that motorized vehicle velocity contests and exhibitions of velocity performed on public streets and highways are unlawful. Nevertheless, State legislation presently doesn’t handle spectators at these occasions and is silent about these occasions, drivers, and spectators that happen on non-public property.

The proposed ordinance would prohibit spectators at unlawful road racing occasions, present discover as to what actions are lawful and illegal, and establish penalties for violations of this ordinance. In response to unlawful road racing and sideshow actions, a number of cities have adopted ordinances banning spectators at road racing occasions. These cities have reported that these ordinances are an efficient instrument to fight harmful actions and to restrict spectator involvement at road racing, exhibitions of velocity, and sideshows.

Pittsburg Metropolis Council Assembly
Might 2, 2022
7:00 pm
65 Civic Avenue, Pittsburg CA