The Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) proceeded with their DUI checkpoint tonight, at Rosita Park, over by Newhope and Hazard. I visited the checkpoint at about 9:30 pm. There were about ten cops there and a lot of vehicles and equipment.
I brought my camera and took pictures and shot some video. As I approached the mobile blood testing unit, one of the cops actually started taking pictures of me! I could not believe it. I showed my press pass to the guy in charge, who introduced himself. I told him that I am meeting with SAPD Chief Paul Walters next Tuesday, which is true, and that I had advised him that I might be visting the checkpoint tonight.
One of the cops, who sported a greasy pompadour, kept mad-dogging me the entire time. He did not even try to hide his anger that I was there. They all appeared to be white guys.
The fellow I spoke to said that they had only impounded one car, after starting the checkpoint at 7:30 pm. Santa Ana City Manager Dave Ream isn’t going to like that! Cities make a lot of money impounding cars driven by immigrants, but our efforts likely blew it for Ream tonight.
Click here to see more pictures and the rest of this post.
once again the race baiter pedroza . all the cops appeared to be white . what is that crap . i could say wow the cops where in illegal alien territory when their leader pedroza showed up .
Art, do you have the actual number for the night? While I have issues with being stopped and asked to provide parers to the police, I don’t see the problem with having white police officers. Can you explain to me why you always have to talk about skin color? I don’t look at the color of anybodys skin, I profer to look at how they are doing their job, and how they treat their fellow man. Do you have the final numbers for the night? It’s hard to catch drunks at 9 O’clock at night…
I have no idea how many cars the cops ended up impounding. I am meeting with the Chief of Police, Paul Walters, next Tuesday and will be sure to ask him.
As for your other point, let me try to paint the picture for you. Santa Ana is over eighty percent Latino. The folks at the park, and there were quite a few, were all brown. And they were wondering why a bunch of white, angry, overly aggressive cops were rousting their neighbors. One fellow asked me and I told him they were there to make money by taking away their cars. I told you, he immediately told his friends.
The bystanders told me they saw the cops force an old man out of his car and they tossed him onto the sidewalk then manhandled him into the mobile blood testing unit. Why do they have to be such bullies?
I am still in shock at the open aggression that the guy in the greasy pompadour displayed – and at having them take my picture. These guys didn’t have a clue who they were messing with. They do now!
Finally, I suspect many of these cops are your neighbors in Mission Viejo. They make a ton of money in Santa Ana but perhaps less than five percent of them live here.
the color reference bothered me too. Art from your picture you also appear to be white. Driving under the influence is a problem, why get in the way of the PD doing their work
saddo,
Well, believe me it bothered the folks in that neighborhood a heck of a lot more to see a bunch of angry white cops rousting their friends and family.
I agree that drunk driving sucks. I asked the Chief of Police to conduct the DUI checkpoint on Harbor or over in downtown, by Proof, Memphis or Original Mike’s. If you want to actually catch drunk drivers, why not set up in an area where there are drunks?
The cop I spoke to at the checkpoint said they chose the site based on not having done a checkpoint there before. I am not buying that for a minute. It was a neighborhood with a lot of prospects for catching immigrants, period.
It does by the way bother me that the SAPD doesn’t have more minority cops. If they do, it surely wasn’t obvious yesterday.
Art…Do you think this will lead to more situations like you had before when you said cops were following you home in Park Santiago? I thought all Santa Ana cops spoke Spanish? Why would they hire non-Spanish speakign white cops in 2010? Maybe they were light skin Latinos which makes you wonder if the dark skinned Hispanics are not hired in Santa Ana? They always talk about the number of Latino hires in the City but how many are fair skinned with mostly Spanish blood and how many are like the majority of the Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in our city who are dark skinned.
Come to think of it the same thing goes in Santa Ana schools. Most of the “Latinos” hired are light skinned. You almost never see a person of Aztec or Mayan origen yet you see mostly people who are of this background in our city. Racistas Todos!!!
Sin Justicia,
If the cops know what is good for them, they will stay the hell away from me. Unlike those poor immigrants at the park, I know my rights. I won’t hesitate to call in the FBI, the DOJ and the ACLU.
I am the last Mexican these bullies want to be messing with…
If the Pedroza post tells the whole story, it sounds like there was an outbreak of law-abiding behavior in Santa Ana, and that’s a good thing!
Safe Driver,
I think Santa Ana City Manager Dave Ream would beg to differ! He was hoping to make a bundle by impouinding cars and extorting their owners. We sunk his battleship!
The reason the PoPo are angry is because you are messing with their easy OVERTIME pay. How dare you interrupt the vicious cycle of Police Management taking care of their buddies by padding their paychecks with overtime. I haven’t met a Santa Ana Cop without an attitude. In fact I had a big old 6′ plus, 250 pound white cop in my face because I stopped walking to watch him give a young mexican guy a ticket. I told him it wasn’t against the law to watch and he told me if I didn’t leave he would have me arrested for obstructing justice. Why doesn’t SA Police go after hard core criminals? Why? Because it would require them to think and they have rocks for brains. And another thing. These white cops suffer from a superiority complex. Newsflash: You’re just another minimally educated white guy and your kids are probably drug addicts and your wife is cheating on you.
Art–you’re right !!!
This is nothing more than a hidden tax being extracted by the OCSD and the local “yokal” politicians that support these DUI check points !!!
It flat out is a violation of the 1st, and 4th amendment.
You showed a press pass! Is it one you made yourself? Look at you. Do you really think the FBI and the ACLU are going to drop everything to come to your aid? Your faux racism is a joke Pedroza
13,
The ACLU has stopped the Usual Suspects before. Have you forgotten the ill-fated French Park barricades?
And who cares who made my press pass? It works every time!
Welcome to the new media, where a citizen blogger can make a real difference.
It wasn’t a joke when my reporting led Assemblyman Solorio to call Chief Walters!
oh is it ILLEGAL TO HAVE A PHONY PRESS PAss . oops we cant use that word here it has no meaning . so i take it art wants a all hispanic police force . heck why dont just white people move out of santa ana . in pedroza world if your white you cant be a cop in santa ana . who is the racist here .
Not so great one,
The only white people who bother me are those who are anti-Mexican.
You are a true leader Art in our community for taking this stand. So many of us with and without papers would end up on the wrong end of a police baton if we said such a thing publically. We live in fear of being arrested or losing our cars. You are very brave and I hope you will never be targeted for you brave stands. So many Latinos forget the poor and the o
ppressed but you my friend are standing up for what is right. Keep up the great work you do.
That’s right #15. All you white people should leave. Oh wait. You can’t. You can’t sell your house or come up with a deposit for a rental. Your stuck in Santa Ana forever. LMAO!
Good for you Art, what they should spend some of that money on is teaching kids about crossing the streets and giving bike rodeo’s teaching them the rules of the road. Licensing the bike riders in Santa Ana. Can you imagine paying 10 officers and only impounding 1 car? There goes some wasted money. Not for the Officers and Police Unions they still get paid (that sure was easy money).
Good Job Art for exposing this waste. The only thing missing from your story was a couple dozen Yum Yum doughnuts which I’m sure where on site as well.
Why is it that you only see Mexicans being hassled by the Santa Ana Police? You never see members of COMLINK or the Washington Square or Floral Park neighborhood associations sitting on the curb being interviewed by the cops or spread eagle against a squad car! How many white kids get expelled from Santa Ana schools? It’s racism pure and simple.
21 there are no white kids in s.a . and la raza standing up for what is right . how about following the law . oh wait you already broke the law . your here illegally . strike one .
#21,
Well, Tim Rush did get busted, I think for real estate fraud. And Thomas Gordon was once spread-eagled by the SAPD, but I think it was a misunderstanding. And Stanley Fiala was busted for assaulting his wife and daughter.
Gosh, when you think about it, a lot of the Usual Suspects have had trouble with the law!
But who does the SAPD target? Innocent, hard-working immigrants. It’s just nuts!
Art is a smart man. I get him!! You can’t run the hottest blog in OC without being smart.
I know there’s a wink wink in your post Art, whether you want to admit it or not. Just spin a DUI checkpoint into “angry white cops harassing immigrants” and you’ll get angry people to reply to the post.
Not so great one,
How can Native Americans be here illegally when they were here first? The reason many Mexicans are brown is because they are of native stock. They were on this continent first!
My Spanish ancestors, and other Euros, killed them, infected them, and stole their land.
And now the descendants of those Euros want to keep them out of the U.S? This is a gross injustice.
Lam,
I do love to put my spin on things, but last night was for real. That cop with the greasy pompadour looked like he wanted to beat me. He reaked of evil.
It reminded me that Santa Ana’s city leaders once burned down Chinatown.
What I saw last night was nothing less than a pogrom against Latinos. It was sickening!
Art says in a comment that SA is 80% Latino!!!!!!! Check earlier story where he complained 79% of those caught are Latino, as if it was too high a percentage. Geez. Oh, and I love his threat not to mess with him that he will get the ACLU and other fringe groups (maldef?) who waste our time and money. F..k it.
oh now where going to go back to the day of the pilgrims . wow you have lost your mind and as usual maybe they werent immigrants they where pulling over . perhaps ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS . IN TURN THEY WHERE DOING THEIR JOB . oh wait its not their job to capture illegals only the feds can do that . so let all the criminals pass on bye . i hope this does not happen to art or any one else . but post 27 i would like to see arts reaction if he got hit by a illegal alien driver . iwonder if he would still feel the same .
#27,
The FBI and the DOJ are not fringe groups.
And the ACLU has been very successful in stopping racists here in Santa Ana.
Not so great one,
Simple solution – let immigrants apply for driver’s licenses.
any immigrant can apply for a lincese . ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS no way jose .
Not so great one,
Easy fix – allow them to get licenses or pass a new Amnesty.
Geez Art, did you ever consider the open hostility towards you is that you are always making an issue of race? You can’t seeem to but your prejudice and bias aside for ANY issue. Many of your readers are sick and tired of you constantly making everything about race. YOU instigate and fan the flames of hate, check yourself.
fed-up,
There are a lot of folks out there who are espousing racist views. I am one of the few who is here to counter them. And you want to silence me. Tell you what, if you are so fed up, why don’t you go relish what your fellow haters have to say at Red County?
Racism IS real and it DOES exist and what I saw on Friday night was a good example if it, it was in fact institutionalized racism, which is even worse, IMHO.
To Lisann…you are living in bubble, pull your head out.
no no no law breakers dont get a lincense . no no no why should they get amensty. in your world you reward them by giving them things when they broak the law . get in line with everyone else. how about following the law and deport them . i agree with fed up .art everytime you bring this issue up the people are always racist if you take the other side . . you toss race around like a credit card .
Not so great one,
I imagine folks once said the same thing to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.
Your words will not sway me. I will continue to work hard to help those amongst us who are least able to defend themselves.
See? Again, Art, you say go over to red county. That is not the point. What are you saying? All conservatives are racisits? I am suggestig moderation in your use of racism. Of course it exists, and it needs to be pointed out when appropriate. You point it out when a dog farts and soon no one will listen to you.
Fed up,
This is the #2 blog in the state, according to BNN. Our other blog, New Santa Ana, is rated #5.
I don’t think I have anything to worry about.
I know what I saw on Friday. I am going to work with Senator Correa to take away state funding from this program.
fed up in his world ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS and immigrants have the same meaning . as far as taking away state funding they should take away the funding to illegals .
Are we not all racists?
Think about your answer before you lie.
#41 Cook, damn right!! Thanks for pointing out the fact that too few are willing to admit.
As far as Art, I’m telling you guys he’s just playing and baiting you in. I can’t believe he actually believes half the BS he’s claiming on this thread. He doesn’t!! But look, he got over 40 replies already and many more coming if he keeps this on the front page.
Lam,
Let’s see what Chief Walters has to say on Tuesday.
I will write a new post after I meet with him.
the folks that where marching with dr king . WHERE U.S CITZIENS NOT ILLEGAL ALIENS .
That’s right. Their ancestors were brought here legally – to serve white Americans as slaves.
If King were alive today I am sure he would be speaking out on behalf of immigrants. As a preacher he knew God doesn’t pay heed to artificial borders…
haaaa pedroza what a joke . we ARE A NATION OF LAWS . you dont want to follow them . NEITHER DOES YOuR ILLEGAL BUDDIES . you want open borders . LET THEM ALL IN . the state will go broke at a even faster pace .
Get a hold of yourselves people, especially “the great one says”, “fedup” and “deadwhitemale”. You people sounds like idiots.