SCPD Panhandle Bust Soquel/Pacific 05-21-10

The cop who talked down to that brave soul should have kindly given him his card and badge number and told him his right to go and file a complaint if he felt someone was being harassed. You can do this at the police station. They work for us... well in theroy...
the treatment he got was degrading.

Good cop watchin Bob. Whats the officers name?

As the woman on the skateboard says in the first video, the skinny white cop is Officer Winston, a notoriously anti-homeless fellow. The heavier-set officer in the second video looks like it could be either Officer Bradley or Azua, but the video is a little too dim as is my eyesight, so I'm not totally sure (leaning towards it being Bradley). For what its worth, Bradley is generally a decent and respectful human being in my experience, but Winston could stand to spend a month having to beg for every meal to make him rethink how he treats poor people.

I think it says a lot, though, that even random passer-by's are seeing how trivial and anti-social the behavior of the SCPD is lately and speaking up. We need more of that.

The officer in the video is Officer Inouye.

Filing complaints do go on the police record but are almost sure to be dismissed. Nonetheless, they become available for use by defense lawyers in subsequent cases involving the officer's credibility or use of excessive force.

It may be effective as well to challenge a police officer in terms of his/her violating SCPD policy. The policy manual can be found at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/03/21/18642408.php .

I think the main point of videoing and street commentary is to publicize abusive police behavior. The fact that police are enforcing unconstitutional laws against the poor that have been "legally" passed by a business-captive city council doesn't alter our responsibility to speak out whenever these abuses occur. Slavery and segregation were "legal" for decades before finally being overturned.

The police have been given a huge blank check to harass "those who don't belong" downtown. They should be challenged every time they use it. Peacefully, but loudly. This, I think, acts as a deterrent to the cops, an embarrassment to the Council and City Manager (the real power), and a wake-up call to the community.

Thanks, Bob for the videos. Let's have more.

For those of you who have relevant videos or accounts, please post them.

There's also a notebook at the Sub Rosa Cafe for recording police incidents, for those who are not computer savy.

yep, circle that, I have dealt with Winston and I agree he is one of the worst. This video is a good example of why it's imperative to Know Your Rights. I encourage people to take a Free Skool class on this as they come up. I know it helped me. Or at least download or read the literature posted on the Subrosa thread.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/05/19/18648367.php

Robert it' helpful info the manual and to know that complaints can be used by lawyers to build a case, makes the process of filing seem less futile. I also agree the most important thing is the documenting poor police conduct and abuse.

I have met many officers I may think are nice guys, but they still follow and enforce unjust policies and laws as you of course know. People need to be just as careful in what they say when being questioned by nice cops. Although, I love this woman on the skate board for telling him to fuck off. I never met her, but she is now my personal hero.

I am not to understanding this. Why is the three persons sitting on the road? Is it their job? In Lithuania, is not to sit on road way, because police will arrest. Something is different in here. How do the persons earn monies in this job of the road?

I don't see Winston in either one of those clips, and as far as I know there is no officer"Bradley" working for SCPD.

Actually these panhandling laws do stand up in court so I do not see how you can keep saying they are unconstitutional. What I saw was two cops handling the situation quite professionally. Good bad or otherwise their job is to enforce the laws. Unlike some they do not have the luxury of picking and choosing which laws they have to follow. I thought the officer had a good point. If you want to change things put together a ballot initiative to have the laws repealed. But then that would take:
A. Positive effort by those concerned and doing more than just bitching about "The Man"
B. Organization.
C. A willingness to find out if they really do have enough people who oppose these laws or not (I suspect not).

The police behavior in these videos is typical and surely disgusting.
If they had any compassion they'd offer warnings first.
The law being broken here is panhandling in a group. Panhandling is legal in Santa Cruz but
it is very narrowly allowed. Please share information with folks you see doing it illegally before
they get shaken down by abusive militant nazis like the ones you see in the videos.
Once you know the laws and your rights very well, you'll see that the police will become afraid of you. They don't really know all of the laws and the definitely don't study Civil Rights of individuals.
I often shout them down when they are fucking up and they do that often.

I was told copper Inouye was the cop talking down the public and copper Warren was the younger one in shorts, I believe the woman on skateboard said his name while flipping him the bird she also admitted she was panhandling with them and got no ticket.
It seems to me the classic act tough harassment after recent damage downtown and before the summer tourists arrive also PO Inouye seemed to be having a bad day and the kids were an easy target to get his frustrations out.
The kids we're not harassing passerby's they were quietly holding signs. Does anyone know the two who were ticketed? the footage could help them in court, clearly there was distance of 6-10 feet between them.

Gene, The officer had a duty to tell the complaining citizen his right to file a complaint and identify himself so the complaint can be filed correctly. Spouting his views is not his duty. Bad day or not. These kids were not really breaking the law, not in a way that would stand up in court. Not unless they were to get out a tape measure which the officer did not while the were actively panhandling.

I have complained to harassing officers in such situation and most, knowing MY RIGHTS, hand off a card and point the way to the police station where I can file the complaint.

Additionally, if you happen to see cop doing something good, you can file the opposite of a complaint. I have done this once in my entire life when an officer I thought was going out of his way to work with panhandlers rather than hassle them. He lasted about a week.

"I don't see Winston in either one of those clips, and as far as I know there is no officer"Bradley" working for SCPD."
as well as
"I was told copper Inouye was the cop talking down the public and copper Warren was the younger one in shorts, I believe the woman on skateboard said his name while flipping him the bird she also admitted she was panhandling with them and got no ticket. "

As I said before, my vision leaves something to be desired (re Winston)---though I did think I heard the woman on skateboard yell Winston, not Warren, so maybe my ears are going too. Or I just need a new monitor and speakers. So it goes.

As far as Officer Bradley goes, that may very well be his first name, most of my contact with him has been through my wife who knew him when he was the campus officer (truancy etc) for Santa Cruz High, and he's always been one of the more civil ones to me (I don't get that a lot from the SCPD).

Either way, sorry for the mix up.

They looked very RESPECTFULL to me, doing their job, Thank you SCPD!!!!!