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Cops wade into one of those large groups of kids on bikes, make arrests
By adamg on Mon, 10/06/2014 - 5:30pm
Boston Police report officers arrested three teens and seizing several bicycles Sunday afternoon after watching "approximately 75 young males on bicycles, cutting in and out of traffic creating a hazardous environment for pedestrians and motor vehicles operating in the area" of Boylston and Clarendon streets in the Back Bay.
The three were charged with disturbing the peace, police say, adding one was also charged with illegal possession of a dangerous weapon - brass knuckles. Ten more teens were questioned and released, but several bicycles were seized as potentially stolen, police say, adding South End residents who have had bicycles stolen in recent months should:
Report to District 4 located at 650 Harrison Ave in the South End, with ownership paper work, a serial number or a SPECIFIC description of your bicycle to verify that it has been located.
You can also contact District 4 detectives MacDonald or O'Sullivan at (617) 343-4683.
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Comments
RIDEBYS....real tough
Then the ones...possibly packing.... Knuckle headed azzzzssss doing ride bys.....real f..king tough!
#ANGRYINMA #GUNVIOLENCE
Come out to play...
Honestly, based on the headlines lately, I'm not sure Boston isn't stuck in a scene from The Warriors.
Seizures
What's the criteria for the police seizing property in one's possession on the suspicion of it being "potentially stolen" ?
You ask questions....
Who's bike is this? "It's my friends..."
What's his name? "........(big pause).......mike"
Where does mike live, or what's mikes last name "........(longer pause)........i don't know"
Tell mike to come in and get his bike with proof of ownership......in the meantime we will check our records for stolen bikes....
Not to be a wise-ass, but...
If anyone asked me whose bike I was riding, I would answer, politely, "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to answer that." I understand that response, in general, makes it harder for the police to catch bike thieves, but maintaining clear boundaries about when and how the government is and is not allowed to question me is more important than catching bike thieves.
Good lord…
If it's your bike, say "it's my bike". If you're borrowing a friend's bike, say "I'm borrowing a friend's bike." If you've stolen a bike, then whatever, you're going to be lying unless you tell the cop "I stole it". Unless you're black or being a dipshit, the cops are not your enemies.
And you have a very good chance of never being asked that Bob...
Unless you were suspected of being in possession of a stolen bike. And if you didn't answer, the police might just take it under suspicion that it was stolen.
The same might happen if you were pulled over in a vehicle but didn't have a registration, and it wasn't your car, and you couldn't tell the officer whose car it was, or refused to say whose it was. An officer might want to double check with the owner to make sure you had permission to drive it.
I know.....
I know that I'd be unlikely to be asked that sort of question... I'm an aging white guy who probably looks too prosperous and too clueless to be stealing bikes, and my bike looks too ratty to be worth stealing anyhow. And, for whatever it's worth, I've never personally encountered police acting unprofessionally or illegally, so I've never had to get on my civil liberties high horse.
it's called white male privilege, pal
> I'm an aging white guy
> I've never personally encountered police acting unprofessionally or illegally
Fancy that.
> I've never had to get on my civil liberties high horse.
Yeah, fancy that.
Good one
white male privilege. I'm a white male. I was stopped by police many times as a teenager and young man. I've been stopped as an adult,. Then again, I'm not an executive living in Weston or Brookline. And I'm not a professor living in Cambridge or Newton. And I don't wear an IBM uniform for my job, or drive a 'professionals' car. I agree, in some areas and situations, if you look 'professional' clean cut, white collar business attire (in Cambridge if you look like a teacher/professor, student undergrad or grad), you have an advantage in things such as interaction with police, inside stores or other business establishments,etc. If you don't, for whatever reason, try testing that 'white male privilege', and get back to me, boss.
BTW: Do white males, regardless of their socioeconomic status and background, receive any kind of 'affirmative action' in employment, education, test scores, etc.? Naturally, leave things like veteran status out. Do employers who hire white males, regardless of their socioeconomic status, receive special privileges from the government like tax credits, for hiring them?
If anybody has above and beyond privilege and legal status in this country it's those categorized by 'advocates' and government(s) as being 'oppressed', which means 'people of color' and females, even white, black, Hispanic, Asisn, and American Indian females of middle and upper middle class backgrounds. They actually are far more privileged than a white male of a lowly socioeconomic status. Try growing up as a dreaded white male of a lowly socioeconomic status, with zero number of 'advocates' advocating on your behalf, zero 'affirmative action' (unless you join the armed forces; maybe that's one reason why the armed forces are top heavy with 'lower classk white males?) zero business or political 'connections', then get back to me your asinine theories of 'white male privilege'.
Stupid white people...
White people are so stupid with their stupid white privilege. White people always get everything they want. White people have such easy lives and never encounter difficult situations. I wish they'd be erased off the face of the earth and it would be a much better place.
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To the self loathing, white guilt having hipster anon who has never experienced real life that wrote the the response I replied too - I hate you.
White male privilege
Umm... that was precisely the point I was trying to make, "pal."
I guess it was made somewhat more clearly by the other poster who said "unless you're black [...] police are not your enemy."
I got what you said bob.....
But there are plenty of white bike thieves out their actually, in fact the BPD has done stings, and one might be surprised at the amount of white hipster/junkie/vandal crowd that steals bikes.
That being said, poor black teenagers from housing projects with $1,000 bikes usually steal them.
Usually?
A nice bike for one's teen is a common purchase made with one's tax refund, especially to reward and motivate a teen who has recently gotten a job and could use a quicker and snazzier way to get there. This is how most of the low-income teens I know with nice bikes came by theirs. That, or saving up and getting something used and overhauling it. Or getting one through Bikes Not Bombs. Or they have a parent or aunt or someone who gave it as a gift to motivate the kid to stay employed and in after-school activities and whatnot.
I'd support officers on bikes or on foot chatting to anyone they see about their bike -- nice wheels, how long have you had it, I'm thinking about getting the same one, good for you getting a job and saving your money and knowing how to work on bikes. But I'm a bit concerned that we have Boston Police officers going around with the belief that most Black teens who live in the projects stole their bikes. That's just not accurate, and I worry that it will lead to harassment of perfectly legit kids who like bikes (and overlooking of actual bike thieves.)
I've never heard of poor
I've never heard of poor families buying their teenagers thousand dollar bikes... I always had used bikes given to me by older neighborhood kids who outgrew them. I come from a working class family. My parents' tax refund went toward paying for home repairs, paying down debts, etc. A few of my friends when I was younger whose families were barely making ends meet certainly could not afford to give their kids expensive bikes... usually they got one gift at Christmas and one gift for their birthday. You must know some fairly spoiled poor kids!
Back in your day
They didn't have Bikes not Bombs, where a kid can overhaul and customize a bike after working on other bikes.
Parents also bought their kids cars.
Stings?
Um, when were these stings done exactly? I have no doubt that there are plenty of white hipster bike thieves out there but generally the police couldn't give a good goddamn about stolen bikes and have zero interest in setting up a "sting."
Citizen Good Fellow
Did you ride the short bus to school? This is a pack of 75 wilding youth swarming like a pack of bees. They show no regard for anyone. This has been going on since the spring. Usually it is dirt bikes and four wheelers. The BPD arrest THREE of 75 of these punks. THREE
I hope they come and visit your neighborhood soon!!!
'scuse me?
Where the hell are you coming from? Did I, in any possible interpretation of anything I wrote, suggest that the police were in the wrong in breaking up this event?
Well, Bob, a cop might have a difference of opinion,
I am sure that it must be a hardship for you as you regularly have to maintain your "clear boundaries" against "the government" on The Hill.
BTW: And how is that lawsuit proceeding?
The lawsuit
I have no access to any more information than you do; I don't know.
For Christ's sake the kids
For Christ's sake the kids wasn't riding down the Charles, there was a group of 75 of them weaving through a crowded street. I think you throw out your chance to be an ass and defend your rights when you are treating society like you don't give a shit about it then expect to use its laws as your defence.
When you are stopped for no reason and don't have brass knuckles on you you can refuse to answer questions.
Last I checked
The various amendments to the US Constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth don't ever say "NOTE: these rights don't apply to people acting like an ass and not behaving nicely".
usually
It's a crappy spray paint job
Bike laws allow impounding bikes 15 days
for minor, under, 18 violating bike laws. Cops need to do this for all the kids without headlights, tail lights, and reflectors at night.
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter85/Sect...
Bike Laws??
These kids on bikes, dirt bikes, four wheelers don't give a sh*t about bike laws. They swarm through riding left of center, in front of cars, passing on the right, running red light, doing wheelies, etc. The number one reason: the Boston Police lets them. They have been doing this from the spring.
We need new BPD leadership!!!!!
Helmets too
For 16 and younger.
I don't know if I'd support impounding the bike in all cases. A number of teens use their bike to get to work and to resume-building activities. I would support talking to their parents and fining the parent up to a certain age and fining the teen if over maybe, say, 14? Or even just rolling down the window and informing kids and parents that there's a helmet law, since right now most of what I see is police officers just cruising on by when they see kids riding bikes in poor condition without helmets. Aren't they supposed to be in the business of public SAFETY?
Know what is more dangerous
They also need to get old guys who think they own the roads and can't handle driving laws off the roads. Impound their cars for a long time.
That includes wire-haired geezers blasting their horns at cyclists on small neighborhood streets where there is nowhere else to ride and no hurry.
An officer can briefly stop
An officer can briefly stop and question a person on the street if he has reasonable suspicion, based on the officer's knowledge of facts and experience, to believe the person may have engaged in criminal activity. If that stop and questioning leads the officer to develop probable cause that the person stole the bike, he may arrest the person and seize the bike. Probable cause would be when the officer possesses sufficient facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe the bike was stolen. So, for example, the officer sees a person in the area of the theft matching the known description of a suspect with the type of bike that was stolen, that would be reasonable suspicion to stop and question briefly. That stop and the person's answers to questioning could lead to probable cause to arrest the person and seize the bike.
What does it mean to "wade"
What does it mean to "wade" into? I heard police used batons against that group of people.. Is that false?'
Pedants patrolling for
Pedants patrolling for published paux fas:
"The three were charged with disturbing the police, police say..."
Well, they probably were disturbing the police
Although, yes, the official charge was disturbing the peace. Fixed.
GOOD
GOOD
The wild one
When the cops ask the bikers what were they rebelling against?They responded ' WHAT'VE YOU GOT'
Those kids are annoying and
Those kids are annoying and are a danger to themselves and others, whether any of them gets convicted of anything I suspect they'll be less likely to behave this way.
Nice job BPD.
I wonder...
...how they distinguished this group of protesters from a Critical Mass ride/demonstration?
differences from Critical Mass
Boston Critical Mass rides on the last Friday evening of the month, never on Sundays. i haven't been to one in years, so I don't know how many people they can still turn out. Boston Bike Party, *second* Friday of the month, is a much less angry, more friendly event.
Critical Mass also isn't all male, or all young.
Whoosh...
Whoosh...
Protestors usually do not
Protestors usually do not come flying down Tremont Street as fast as they can using the full width of the street - including darting in and out of the lanes designated to go in the opposite direction. Usually bike protests do not go down the sidewalks as fast as they can. Saw several near misses and a few bicycle collisions . Witnessed this yesterday. It was incredibly unsafe and disturbing as they flew by shouting.
Remember, folks
Don't carry around a bunch of ball-bearings in a pocket with a hole in the bottom. I can't even imagine what a nightmare it would be if a pocketful of ball-bearings should spill on the ground as these riders come through an area. Be safe, everyone!
absolutely none
Ball bearings don't present any hazard to a cyclist - they'd simply shoot out to the side. They would, however, present a serious hazard to pedestrians.
Of course, you'd know this if you rode, because anyone who rides regularly has experienced running over a rock and having it shoot out to the side.
How to distinguish these punks from Critical Mass
The kids are better behaved.
So true!!! There was more
So true!!! There was more than one occasion when I was late to work in Chicago because critical mass would block the streets and my bus couldn't get through. Chicago residents DESPISED critical mass.
ZOMG
Sounds like RUSH HOUR.
I think I'll call 911 the next time I see a critical mass drive like this - how does right now sound?
Great Police Work??
BPD is patting themselves on their web site like they have done something great. These bikes/dirt bikes/4 wheelers have been going on since the spring. The BPD response has been like Barney Fife and a deputized Otis.
The youth don't fear the Boston Police. They look at them as a bunch of Chumps. It is time to look for better strategies and possible different BPD leaders!!
Great Police Work??
BPD is patting themselves on their web site like they have done something great. These bikes/dirt bikes/4 wheelers have been going on since the spring. The BPD response has been like Barney Fife and a deputized Otis.
The youth don't fear the Boston Police. They look at them as a bunch of Chumps. It is time to look for better strategies and possible different BPD leaders!!
Great Police Work??
BPD is patting themselves on their web site like they have done something great. These bikes/dirt bikes/4 wheelers have been going on since the spring. The BPD response has been like Barney Fife and a deputized Otis.
The youth don't fear the Boston Police. They look at them as a bunch of Chumps. It is time to look for better strategies and possible different BPD leaders!!