San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced new legislation Friday that will increase penalties for people who participate in dangerous carnival rides on the streets.
The legislation introduced by Breed and SF Supervisor Matt Dorsey would crack down on sideshow activity with increased criminal penalties for people who plan and participate in sideshows and the stunt driving that accompanies the incidents. The announcement was made during a press conference Friday at San Francisco Police Department headquarters, with Breed and Dorsey standing alongside law enforcement leaders from the SFPD, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol.
Breed and Dorsey plan to introduce the new legislation on Tuesday. It would impose new penalties that would make it illegal to promote a sideshow online, to participate in gatherings for a sideshow, such as using vehicles to block streets in preparation for such an event, and to obstruct law enforcement from stopping sideshow activities.
“This will help our officers who are already monitoring these efforts online, and hopefully deter people from organizing in the first place,” Breed said. “So if you are an organizer, we’re coming for you, too.”
The bill would also extend the amount of time the city can hold a vehicle seized at a fairgrounds to more than 30 days if the district attorney files charges in the case, and would allow the vehicle to be permanently impounded if there is a conviction.
The crimes described in the new law are all misdemeanors, which is the highest penalty allowed under current California law.
“Recent events make it clear that we must continue to send a strong message: these activities have no place in San Francisco,” Dorsey was quoted as saying in the press release about the legislation. “Our streets belong to the community, and we will take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of all residents.”
The mayor also highlighted the problems the police face with motocross riders riding in groups and violating traffic rules.
“It’s one thing now to just ride your dirt bike down the city streets, stop at the stop signs, and obey the laws and traffic regulations,” Breed said. “It’s a whole different story when you see these dirt bikes in large numbers riding on the sidewalk, barely avoiding pedestrians when they’re walking, and running red lights to the point where vehicles are trying to avoid hitting people on dirt bikes.”
A large group of motorcyclists raced through the Mission neighborhood early Sunday evening, popping wheelies on Valencia Street and at one point holding up traffic at the busy intersection of Mission St. and 24th.
SF resident Sharky Laguana, who also serves on the city’s Homelessness Oversight Commission, tried to dine with his family at Sanguchon Eatery on Valencia Street, just off 23rd in the Mission, last weekend. But he and his family were interrupted by dirt bikes for more than an hour.
“As time went on, it became more and more unpleasant for the people who worked in the restaurant, the other guests. The restaurant started to smell like burnt rubber,” he explained.
Laguana’s friend was also hit by one of the motorcyclists.
“He said his wife was driving a car with two children in it, and one of the motorcycles hit the back of the car, breaking the rear window,” Laguana said.
“When I see that, I have to be honest, I’m not even going to go out,” Sanguchon general manager Juan Sedan said. “I really don’t want to take the risk.”
Sedan, who has worked at Sanguchon for more than three years, says these types of fairs have become far too common.
“Last time? I would say maybe 10 times already,” Sedan said. “People don’t want to go in because they’re afraid to see that.”
He said the new legislation is a step in the right direction.
“They have to start somewhere to stop this because like I said, it’s getting worse,” Sedan said.
“You have to have a certain level of accountability. This creates that accountability,” Laguana said.
The mayor said penalties for obstructing officers attempting to stop fairground activities will be imposed on anyone who physically blocks police or shines laser pointers at officers or police vehicles.
The press conference also emphasized that sideshows are a regional problem in the Bay Area. Groups of participants often move from one city to another throughout the day or evening. This means that coordination and cooperation between law enforcement agencies in different jurisdictions is critical to detecting and preventing sideshows.
“These sideshows are not specific to San Francisco. They’re in Alameda County. They’re in the South Bay. They’re going back and forth. They’re on the bridges and the freeways,” said SFPD Chief Bill Scott. “And the bottom line is that wherever these events occur, there is tremendous danger to the public and to our officers who are responding to break up these sideshows and apprehend the offenders.”
Scott also said the department has new tools to help prosecute suspects thanks to the adoption of Proposition E.
“We now have a drone program. We plan to take full advantage of that technology to enhance our ability to identify cars and people involved in these sideshows and, more importantly, to impound cars and make arrests,” Scott said.
The installation of an automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) system with cameras at locations in the city will also help tackle fairground attractions.
Officials said San Francisco police have seized 67 vehicles related to sideshows and reckless evasion so far in 2024. That includes seizure of five vehicles earlier in august involved in multiple sideshows on June 9Those incidents included one at Embarcadero and Washington, where police said a vehicle was intentionally set on fire.
Following widespread complaints from residents about the incident and sideshows in the Mission District that took place the same nightScott insisted that His department would hold the participants accountable.
The seizure and impoundment of the five vehicles is the first enforcement action by authorities in connection with the incident. So far, there have been no confirmed arrests in the June 9 sideshows.
The department has documented 15 sideshows so far in 2024. In 2021, there were 72 reported sideshows. Members of the public are urged to call 911 if they witness a sideshow and to share photos and videos, which police use in their investigations.
Sooji Nam also contributed to this story.
