Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 15123

I was having a discussion with someone today about this...

Say there are two groups in an area at different times. One group is comprised largely of professionals with a good deal of money and access to lawyers and good legal defense. The other group is comprised mostly of young, recent high school graduates whose parents might be less than willing to spring for good lawyers.

Now, the city has noise pollution laws, and large numbers of both groups regularly break these laws, one group with modified vehicles with noisy custom exhausts, and the other with loud radios blasting music. However, the police choose to crack down only on the kids, and not the others. Considering the frivolity of the offense, they are most likely figuring that the first group will fight the ticket/arrest (yes, there have been arrests for this around here), while the second group would probably not have the resources to do as much.

(Actually, there's more to it, such as there being more serious offenses occurring with the first group that keep the police occupied, but our focus was more on that first point.)

Do you think this sort of "pick and choose" approach by the police is right? Is it simply being practical, saving the city money by not pursuing something that will likely be fought and overturned, or is it flat out discrimination against those with fewer resources?

And what would be a better approach to resolve the issue? Pursue the fruitless cases as well as the ones likely to be upheld, lay off enforcement of the law in all but extreme cases, or simply take the law off the books? Or something else?

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Registered: Jun 2002
Location:
Posts: 147

There's a better chance of finding something else Illegal when they pull the kids over.

L8.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 15123

Not necessarily. Like I said, the group of professionals are usually keeping the police occupied with more serious offenses...

Usually, the kids might get hit with MIP's or something, if anything more than the noise pollution.

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Registered: Jun 2002
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quote:

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Originally posted by Roshigoth
Like I said, the group of professionals are usually keeping the police occupied with more serious offenses...

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Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

Rosh it makes the clear-up rates look good.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 15123

Depends, Trollstoy. It's all sorts of shit, from indecent exposure to DUI to reckless driving to whatever else. They essentially raise hell when they're here, as bad or worse than the kids.

Ermm.. Just for future reference, don't come to Myrtle Beach from two weeks before Memorial Day until around the third week of June. It's hell around here between those times.

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Registered: Jun 2002
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quote:

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Originally posted by Roshigoth
Depends, Trollstoy. It's all sorts of shit, from indecent exposure to DUI to reckless driving to whatever else. They essentially raise hell when they're here, as bad or worse than the kids.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 15123

Hehe. Hardly. I'm not here for the spring breakers.

These guys are the bikers.

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Registered: Jun 2002
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quote:

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Originally posted by Roshigoth
These guys are the bikers.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 15123

Nope. Just bikers. They come down every year and raise hell, but most are respectable professionals (they gotta be to afford those bikes and all they spend while they're down here). Even the gangs doff their colors and are well behaved here, believe it or not. Of course, that's because the cops REALLY crack down on that shit these days.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1170

Rosh... Your examples on who will get pulled over jade the truth in most areas.

True, the juvenilles will be checked more thoroughly at a traffic stop for other items than the noise violation they are breaking.

But, many areas do not have noise pollution codes, but they do have codes that do not allow certain customizations to vehicles such as: lowering the length off the ground, tinting of the windows, width of tires in comparison to the width of the car. Also, the police have been more likely to crack down on these types of cars to deter street-racing.

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 4678

Ok look.

Cops are humans just like everyone else.

They see two people breaking an ordinance, with one person just enjoying themselves, and the other acting like Mr. Rebellious Teenager, and it's an easy bet on who is going to get stomped.

"How big're you, son?"
"None of yr business, pig, but about six foot hundred and seventy pounds."
"That's about the right size fer an ass-whuppin'!"

Only because kids piss them off.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 15123

Yep. I know, and stated, that there are other reasons for the kids getting hassled more for the noise pollution laws, but the point of my thread was more along the lines of this:

If you know that two people break the same law, but one will have the resources to fight and will, with a good probability, get out of it, while the other probably won't, do you think it's right to only pick on the one that is more likely to stick -- thus saving taxpayer money and court time -- or do you think it's more important that you apply the law equally to everyone so there's no discrimination?

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Registered: Jun 2002
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quote:

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Originally posted by Roshigoth
If you know that two people break the same law, but one will have the resources to fight and will, with a good probability, get out of it, while the other probably won't, do you think it's right to only pick on the one that is more likely to stick -- thus saving taxpayer money and court time -- or do you think it's more important that you apply the law equally to everyone so there's no discrimination?

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