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Committee forwards ordinance to stiffen penalties, impound cars involved in sideshows
Summary
Supervisors voted to send to the full Board an ordinance increasing penalties and mandatory impoundment minima for vehicle stunt exhibitions and sideshows following multiple incidents with gunfire and a recent fatality. The committee adopted a clerical font correction amendment and voted to forward the ordinance with a positive recommendation.
The committee voted Oct. 8 to forward to the Board of Supervisors an ordinance intended to deter dangerous street stunt driving and “sideshow” events by strengthening impoundment minimums for vehicles used to facilitate or aid such exhibitions.
Supervisor Rohit Safaei, the sponsor, said the legislation responds to an uptick in large gatherings of vehicles used for reckless driving and stunt exhibitions that endanger residents and first responders. The draft ordinance would amend the police and transportation codes to authorize vehicle impoundment for no less than 14 days for a first incident, not less than 15 days for a second incident and not less than 29 days for a third, subject to state law limits on impoundment duration.
San Francisco Police Department Chief Scott described several recent incidents with large numbers of vehicles that drew crowds, shootings and one fatality, and told the committee SFPD supports the ordinance and has refined operational training to respond to such events. SFPD reported seizures, citations and coordination with neighboring jurisdictions as sideshow activity has increased.
Public comment was mixed: callers in several districts urged the committee to move forward with stronger enforcement; others urged caution, saying existing state law makes the ordinance redundant and that the proposed impoundments could amount to civil asset forfeiture without adequate due process. Supervisors acknowledged the concerns and the city attorney offered a clerical amendment (font/formatting) to correct the draft; committee members voted to adopt that clerical change and to forward the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
The committee approved sending the ordinance as amended to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
