Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Modesto council on e‑bike safety, police accountability and transparency
Summary
During the public‑comment period, residents urged stricter enforcement of e‑bike and e‑scooter laws on sidewalks and shared paths, asked for independent investigations and release of footage in recent custody deaths (naming Shane Harland), and criticized transparency on agenda materials and street‑sweeping schedules.
Public comment at the June 9 Modesto City Council meeting centered on pedestrian and cyclist safety, concerns about recent deaths in law‑enforcement custody, and access to city information.
Kathy Haller, speaking for the Shadowchase Running Club, asked the council to enforce state e‑bike and e‑motor vehicle laws and restrict non‑ADA electric devices on sidewalks and shared paths. "Speed limits should be posted and enforced at 15 miles an hour and slower while passing pedestrians and implement community education events," Haller said, and she urged targeted outreach to juveniles.
Several public commenters demanded transparency and independent review after recent fatalities. Harlen Div described the restraint technique used in a nearby county detention center and said, "The rap is what killed Shane Harland," calling for body‑camera footage and an independent investigation. Be GZ and other callers recounted recent high‑speed police operations and asked the city to press for transparency from county agencies and the sheriff’s office.
Other residents raised operational complaints about intermittent street sweeping and asked that agenda materials and committee histories be easier to locate online. One regular public speaker pressed the council to put committee histories and agenda reports where they are easily found by the public rather than requiring multiple website clicks.
Council responses and next steps Staff and the city attorney responded to procedural questions about remote participation rules and the availability of agenda reports via hyperlinks on the city website, and staff reiterated assistance is available to help residents locate materials. Council members acknowledged safety and transparency concerns raised by the public and said they will work within the scope of city authority; multiple speakers noted sheriff’s‑department actions lie outside the council’s jurisdiction but asked for help securing independent review and public records.
Representative quotes - "We want the city of Modesto to enforce all state bicycle, ebicycle, and e‑motorcycle laws ..." — Kathy Haller (Shadowchase Running Club) - "The rap is what killed Shane Harland... He was put face down... He lost consciousness. He stopped breathing. They left him in the wrap... he's dead." — Harlen Div (public commenter)
Context The council repeatedly noted limits on its jurisdiction over county sheriff operations and emphasized the city’s role in local ordinance enforcement and transparency. Petitioners asked for independent investigations that would typically involve county or state oversight bodies.
