sebastopol police. friend or foe?

[onthepath]

i regularly drive through sebastopol late at night from an acting class i take in san francisco. i have been stopped several times for "changing lanes" although not in a traffic intersection or across a solid line, for "slipping a tire over the middle line" at the whole foods curve, for "oozing to the right" of a lane. in short, for no good reason.

the officer always asks if i have been drinking. i am ordered to stay in my vehicle while they check my papers, and it often takes 10 minutes or more. last wednesday i was pulled over at midnight for a brake light i didn't know was out. okay. fair enough. but the ticket had a 25 dollar fine on it and the 'officer' was a trainee. two more police cars roared up to-what- help?

i actually blew up after 15 minutes of being stuck in my car with my children, waiting for them all to check my papers yet again. why do i have to stay in the car? why didn't they just let me know that my light needed to be replaced and let me go on my way? why am i continually stopped for doing nothing wrong?

his answer "some people come out of the hopmonk and they have been drinking. we're trying to catch them." i am SO tired for being stopped because i "might " have had a drink. we pay their salaries. they are out there to serve and protect, not to harass innocent people. maybe there are too many police people in sebastopol. maybe we could save some money and some considerable time sitting in our cars waiting for our papers to be checked yet again. (think eastern bloc). maybe the hopmonk should invest in a door to door shuttle.

[tommy]

ditto for me.

The Police in Sebastopol are oppressive.

I don't understand why, in a town of such peace loving people, and a town council that seems pretty conscious, we can have a Police force that is so oppressive. When they stop you, they don't care if you live in Sebastopol, how long you've lived here, etc. They stop you when there's no one else on the road, late at night, when there's very little traffic... if they were to stop you for rediculous offenses during normal traffic, it would create a hugh traffic jam, and they'd have to pull over so many cars who forget to use a turn signal, or are going slightly over the speed limit. It's a chicken shit police force that has nothing else to do, usually new cops or trainees at off peak hours, who always have attitude, and act like they are the King of Sebastopol and we are merely peasants. ok... you probably got my point.

i regularly drive through sebastopol late at night from an acting class i take in san francisco. i have been stopped several times for "changing lanes" although not in a traffic intersection or across a solid line, for "slipping a tire over the middle line" at the whole foods curve, for "oozing to the right" of a lane. in short, for no good reason.

the officer always asks if i have been drinking. i am ordered to stay in my vehicle while they check my papers, and it often takes 10 minutes or more. last wednesday i was pulled over at midnight for a brake light i didn't know was out. okay. fair enough. but the ticket had a 25 dollar fine on it and the 'officer' was a trainee. two more police cars roared up to-what- help?

i actually blew up after 15 minutes of being stuck in my car with my children, waiting for them all to check my papers yet again. why do i have to stay in the car? why didn't they just let me know that my light needed to be replaced and let me go on my way? why am i continually stopped for doing nothing wrong?

his answer "some people come out of the hopmonk and they have been drinking. we're trying to catch them." i am SO tired for being stopped because i "might " have had a drink. we pay their salaries. they are out there to serve and protect, not to harass innocent people. maybe there are too many police people in sebastopol. maybe we could save some money and some considerable time sitting in our cars waiting for our papers to be checked yet again. (think eastern bloc). maybe the hopmonk should invest in a door to door shuttle.

[Bird Watcher]

ditto for me.

And ditto for me, albeit only once. Normally, through 23 years of living within Sebastopol city limits, I found the local police to be friendly, tolerant, community-minded, and not oppressive.* Then one morning about 3 years ago, I jay-walked west (against the light) at Main St./116 and Bodega Ave. At this one-way juncture, there was no traffic coming my direction for as far as I could see (up towards Safeway). Once I got to the other side, I heard the "whoop-whoop" of a siren. The young officer used the loudspeaker to tell me to halt where I was. Got out of his car, asked for my ID, got back in his car, radioed in my name to a federal database, then scolded me for making a dangerous decision that could harm others as well as myself, and gave me a warning. Yet, while "let off" (and me fully recognizing my culpability), I still experienced what a police state might feel like. Or how some people are made to feel like criminals for too little reason. I think it was the fact of him calling in my name to see if I was a felon or under warrant that bothered me the most--me, Miss Goody Two-Shoes at 50+years. But then, you never know, right? However, from what I'm reading lately, it seems to have gotten worse.

*Through my associations with Sebastopol school and civic groups, I met two senior officers and had a friendly acquaintance with Chief Jeff Weaver, whom I admire immensely. I think it's the "young turks," new to the job and a little drunk with power, who don't realize what community relations are about.

[Mary C]

Every day that a police officer puts on a uniform and goes to work is a day that police officer risks her or his life.

I've been driving a similar route from San Francisco to Sebastopol frequently for several years and I've been pulled over once, and rightly so, for speeding. If you are finding yourself being pulled over regularly, perhaps the common denominator is your driving? Maybe you're not examining the issue deeply enough.

I rarely respond to anything on these boards, preferring instead to simply read the many interesting posts, but when you use your personal problems to besmirch individuals who are your first line of defense in an emergency, and further, who you HOPE will come out in great numbers when you need them, you force me to begin flinging my opinions around.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not an apologist for poor behavior, but there are good cops and bad cops, just like there are good and bad drivers, know what I mean? Might be time to put your broad brush away.

i regularly drive through sebastopol late at night from an acting class i take in san francisco. i have been stopped several times for "changing lanes" although not in a traffic intersection or across a solid line, for "slipping a tire over the middle line" at the whole foods curve, for "oozing to the right" of a lane. in short, for no good reason.

the officer always asks if i have been drinking. i am ordered to stay in my vehicle while they check my papers, and it often takes 10 minutes or more. last wednesday i was pulled over at midnight for a brake light i didn't know was out. okay. fair enough. but the ticket had a 25 dollar fine on it and the 'officer' was a trainee. two more police cars roared up to-what- help?

i actually blew up after 15 minutes of being stuck in my car with my children, waiting for them all to check my papers yet again. why do i have to stay in the car? why didn't they just let me know that my light needed to be replaced and let me go on my way? why am i continually stopped for doing nothing wrong?

his answer "some people come out of the hopmonk and they have been drinking. we're trying to catch them." i am SO tired for being stopped because i "might " have had a drink. we pay their salaries. they are out there to serve and protect, not to harass innocent people. maybe there are too many police people in sebastopol. maybe we could save some money and some considerable time sitting in our cars waiting for our papers to be checked yet again. (think eastern bloc). maybe the hopmonk should invest in a door to door shuttle.

[tammatha]

I was so surprised to read this thread. My husband & I have many times spoke about how the Sebastopol police never seem to be anywhere at anytime. I have never in 20 years seen them stop a single person. I always thought of them as very lenient & never bothering anyone. Huh, what a trip to read this.

ditto for me.

The Police in Sebastopol are oppressive.

I don't understand why, in a town of such peace loving people, and a town council that seems pretty conscious, we can have a Police force that is so oppressive. When they stop you, they don't care if you live in Sebastopol, how long you've lived here, etc. They stop you when there's no one else on the road, late at night, when there's very little traffic... if they were to stop you for rediculous offenses during normal traffic, it would create a hugh traffic jam, and they'd have to pull over so many cars who forget to use a turn signal, or are going slightly over the speed limit. It's a chicken shit police force that has nothing else to do, usually new cops or trainees at off peak hours, who always have attitude, and act like they are the King of Sebastopol and we are merely peasants. ok... you probably got my point.

[rikwiz]

I have been stopped by the Sebastopol Police four times the last time they gave me a ticket for speeding. THe other times they stopped me were for going over a double yellow line, and twice for no reason what so ever. the first three times they shine a light in my eyes in my car and all but once made me get out of the car and do a battery of tests while two or three other officers stood by one with his hand on his pistol. They never gave me a ticket just hassled the hell out of me.

The last time I was driving up main street at about 9pm on my way to my Girlfriends place. I saw the officer looking at me as I turned on to main street and so minded my speed and watched for anyting that might alert them to me since i did not want to be stopped and hassled again. Much to my chagrin they zoomed up to me just before the old gas station . The officer claimed i was "speeding" though this was not true. I gave him my stuff and just let them get over with it since they have nothing else to do. I gave him officer Fury my stuff one of them was the out of date one. The other was in my glove box so when he came back to tell me this he did not let me get the other but gave me a ticket for that as well but not before insisting that He search my vehicle for it. He then went around and searched every nook and cranny of my car and never came up with it even though it was in my glove box . He then served me with a speeding ticket for going forty in a 25 area. I was pissed and sent a letter to the town council which netted me a meeting with the Sargent at the station who tried valiantly to get me to retract my complaint.

I took the officer to court where he lied to the judges face. The judge as with 100 percent of the traffic court trials found me guilty and now I pay a three hundred dollar fine and my insurance goes up !

These guys are not interested in making the streets safe as they all know that they can write people up for anything they make up and the judge will believe them every time. FOE.

[nyn8088]

I am so sorry that happened to you. I strongly suggest you dont let them get away with that. 300 dollars is alot of money not to mention you were innocent. Its not just sebastopol cops its sonoma county, its well known that they are the most currupt in probably all of northern ca. if we keep letting them get away with it they'll keep doing it. I get harassed all the time walking my dog. Its so you can't even walk down the street without being stopped and interegated.There no longer out to serve and protect, there out to harass and make money. any questions or comments please feel free to email me @ [email protected]
Diane

[nyn8088]

Dear Mary,
Yes they risk there lives everyday, but there are many occupations that people risk there lives daily, loggers and tree climbers are in the top three highest fatality rate of any occupation. But thats besides the point. People don't get the reality of things until it happens to them. With all due respect, Maybe your not examining the issue deeply enough. FACT is the police do lie and harass, and its not just the rookies it's almost all of them. There are a couple of good cops. Another FACT is if your a cop and you don't go along with all the illegal stuff the cops do your outcasted and if you leave you will not find another job, they will see to that. I have family that are retired cops and I grew up with half the NY police department. As far as them being there for you in an emergency, I can tell you from personal experience they're not. I could write a book on the experience I had.

Thank you for letting me share 'MY OPINION'

Every day that a police officer puts on a uniform and goes to work is a day that police officer risks her or his life.

I've been driving a similar route from San Francisco to Sebastopol frequently for several years and I've been pulled over once, and rightly so, for speeding. If you are finding yourself being pulled over regularly, perhaps the common denominator is your driving? Maybe you're not examining the issue deeply enough.

I rarely respond to anything on these boards, preferring instead to simply read the many interesting posts, but when you use your personal problems to besmirch individuals who are your first line of defense in an emergency, and further, who you HOPE will come out in great numbers when you need them, you force me to begin flinging my opinions around.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not an apologist for poor behavior, but there are good cops and bad cops, just like there are good and bad drivers, know what I mean? Might be time to put your broad brush away.

[onthepath]

i have lived in places where, when you were stopped, it was obvious why. several times that was not the case for me in sebastopol. i have also lived in places where you don't call the police, because they are part of the problem. i guess my point is that if we entrust our safety to a civic department and with our tax dollars pay their salary, then we have the right to question their procedure. stopping people who aren't breaking a law is gratuitous and disrespectful. if you've been pulled over and you know why, then this thread obviously doesn't apply to you.

I have been stopped by the Sebastopol Police four times the last time they gave me a ticket for speeding. THe other times they stopped me were for going over a double yellow line, and twice for no reason what so ever. the first three times they shine a light in my eyes in my car and all but once made me get out of the car and do a battery of tests while two or three other officers stood by one with his hand on his pistol. They never gave me a ticket just hassled the hell out of me.

The last time I was driving up main street at about 9pm on my way to my Girlfriends place. I saw the officer looking at me as I turned on to main street and so minded my speed and watched for anyting that might alert them to me since i did not want to be stopped and hassled again. Much to my chagrin they zoomed up to me just before the old gas station . The officer claimed i was "speeding" though this was not true. I gave him my stuff and just let them get over with it since they have nothing else to do. I gave him officer Fury my stuff one of them was the out of date one. The other was in my glove box so when he came back to tell me this he did not let me get the other but gave me a ticket for that as well but not before insisting that He search my vehicle for it. He then went around and searched every nook and cranny of my car and never came up with it even though it was in my glove box . He then served me with a speeding ticket for going forty in a 25 area. I was pissed and sent a letter to the town council which netted me a meeting with the Sargent at the station who tried valiantly to get me to retract my complaint.

I took the officer to court where he lied to the judges face. The judge as with 100 percent of the traffic court trials found me guilty and now I pay a three hundred dollar fine and my insurance goes up !

These guys are not interested in making the streets safe as they all know that they can write people up for anything they make up and the judge will believe them every time. FOE.

[rikwiz]

I complained to the town council and then talked with the Lieutenant at the station and then I fought it as well as I could in the kangaroo court there in Santa Rosa. The man posing as a "peace officer" Fury (good name for this bludgeon of a liar) nervously told his lie to the judge. The judges there go with the officer 99 percent of the time when it is my word against the officers. So i do not know what else to do ..

I am so sorry that happened to you. I strongly suggest you dont let them get away with that. 300 dollars is alot of money not to mention you were innocent. Its not just sebastopol cops its sonoma county, its well known that they are the most currupt in probably all of northern ca. if we keep letting them get away with it they'll keep doing it. I get harassed all the time walking my dog. Its so you can't even walk down the street without being stopped and interegated.There no longer out to serve and protect, there out to harass and make money. any questions or comments please feel free to email me @ [email protected]
Diane

[nicofrog]

I am curious why you are being singled out

perhaps you licence number is on a list? do you have friends in "Low places" and park at their houses frequently or have you had previous dui's? I drive an old truck with bumper stickers(2) and never seem to get stopped I see them a lot, know their hiding place on the down hill one way where to speed goes down to 25 etc.

I have seen them throw together a swat team with auto rifles in 15 min. as well

I think the Cops here and Santa Rosa and perhaps all or many yuppy wealthy towns get a bit carried away with the "Commando" role of their otherwise kind of boring work.

Perhaps you are "cute" I think they pick on women more than men just for the company.

Might need to carry a box of doughnuts in you car! do you get revved up as soon as they stop you?even inside? or scared? they are like dogs you know the sense this. and NEVER LET anybody search your car for any reason.that is your right.

here is a scenario a cop stops me, says did you know you were speeding?
what if I said WOW officer,thank GOD you are on the ball here with your modern technological equipment, do you have a radar recording of it? I will take my car in to the dealership right away because MY dash said 28, And I'm sure you wouldn't bother pulling me over for a mere three miles per hour would you?

(Cop responds gruffly and takes your info for his car for the radio ritual) at which point I work on breathing and relaxing exercises I learned in ai Ki do , when he returns with whatever I say by the way, I'm new to this Town what is your name?(They are required to answer this, you can ask for badge no. but I never do that, indicates adversarial stance) then again thank him for being on top of things, if he is still insisting on a ticket I might say good then we'll get to see each other again! but usually they let me go, they want to be impressive VERY impressive ,I give them that I sure wouldn't want their life.
and I've seen cops in other countries, believe me we have it good here.

Sorry you have been so harrassed I think there's a COP WATCH organization in SR you could tune in to what they are up to,and they might have some resources for you

and HEY COPS and COP sympathizers out there if you are listening GO FIND SOME CRIME and leave everday average folks alone, and please do not PROFILE people . It's not nice an may even be against the law somewhat.

I complained to the town council and then talked with the Lieutenant at the station and then I fought it as well as I could in the kangaroo court there in Santa Rosa. The man posing as a "peace officer" Fury (good name for this bludgeon of a liar) nervously told his lie to the judge. The judges there go with the officer 99 percent of the time when it is my word against the officers. So i do not know what else to do ..

[Imagery]

I know I'm a short-timer around here (going on 9 years), but I have not ONCE been stopped, followed, harassed, or in any other way felt threatened or intimidated by the police in the town of Sebastopol. The OP mentions a variety of "actions" which caused him to have interaction (all negative) with the police department, which creates a rather biased viewpoint.

Has anyone ever walked a mile in their shoes? Perhaps by doing a ride-along or two, we can see from their perspective what is going on. The guy weaving down the road? What happens if he doesn't stop the person from killing an innocent bystander (or driver), because he's concerned how he'll be judged for "harassing" someone?

Unfortunately, this society is being taught that nothing is their responsibility. Everything that happens in life has someone else to blame, so let's blame authority.

"Mad" Miles should be in shortly to call me names and ridicule my position...

[nyn8088]

I complained to the town council and then talked with the Lieutenant at the station and then I fought it as well as I could in the kangaroo court there in Santa Rosa. The man posing as a "peace officer" Fury (good name for this bludgeon of a liar) nervously told his lie to the judge. The judges there go with the officer 99 percent of the time when it is my word against the officers. So i do not know what else to do ..

If you have any paperwork proving your case and if you have the money get a san fran lawyer, or somewhere out of the county. Put a big article in the press demo. We should all get together and do a different "occupy sebastopol", Forestville and Guerneville are just as bad. If people keep hearing about it and the cops see everyone is on to their harassing, maybe they will think twice. I think they are bored and they need to generate money. Bigger city cops don't have time to waste like here, they're to busy dealing with real crimes. It's not that your afraid to go out at night because you might get mugged or something, but that you might get arrested. Sometimes I don't get the chance to take my dog out until later in the evening, and I'm always worried the cops are going to swoop up on me. Its crazy, I'm just walking my dog, is that not obvious.

[rikwiz]

YOu should drive around town around nine or ten oclock maybe go into any one of the bars or restaurants in town then get in your car and try to drive off. I have never been stopped in Sebastopol for a legitimate reason ever. I would love for officer "Fury " to walk around in the shoes of people he and his buddies harass. My Insurance is going to go through the roof and i have to pay over three hundred dollars for something that this guy made up . There is certainly a legitimate reason for stopping someone from going down the road all "fucked up" but that is not me and never has been.

I know I'm a short-timer around here (going on 9 years), but I have not ONCE been stopped, followed, harassed, or in any other way felt threatened or intimidated by the police in the town of Sebastopol. The OP mentions a variety of "actions" which caused him to have interaction (all negative) with the police department, which creates a rather biased viewpoint.
Has anyone ever walked a mile in their shoes? Perhaps by doing a ride-along or two, we can see from their perspective what is going on. The guy weaving down the road? What happens if he doesn't stop the person from killing an innocent bystander (or driver), because he's concerned how he'll be judged for "harassing" someone?
Unfortunately, this society is being taught that nothing is their responsibility. Everything that happens in life has someone else to blame, so let's blame authority.
"Mad" Miles should be in shortly to call me names and ridicule my position...

[nyn8088]

Hey nicofrog,
I'm not sure if your friend or foe, maybe just nuetral. Yes I am cute (you too), but that has nothing to do with anything, and I'm not being singled out, (although I am single :) ) the whole point is, is that it's happening to many people, I have no DUI's, I have friends in low places and high places, and i get a good driver discount on my car insurance. I wonder.....Are u a police officer ?

I am curious why you are being singled out

perhaps you licence no is on a list? do you have friends in "Low places"and park at their houses frequently or have you had previous dui's?...

[nyn8088]

PS
I'm cucumber cool and very pleasant with them. I do understand they have to deal with the lowest of the low and it is a thankless job, but......

Hey nicofrog,
I'm not sure if your friend or foe, maybe just nuetral. Yes I am cute (you too), but that has nothing to do with anything, and I'm not being singled out,(although I am single :) ) the whole point is, is that its happening to many people, I have no DUI's, I have friends in low places and high places, and i get a good driver discount on my car insurance. I wonder.....Are u a police officer ?

[rikwiz]

I would say that these guys are way too wired on something maybe power maybe coffee and doghnuts maybe meth. I was at the skate park the other day when three police officers came up the back entrance . I had opened it to work on the natural building storage shed there. Thee officers started to creep into the skate park and I asked them what they were doing as I had been there for some time and there was nothing going on there at all. The one older guy who likes to wear his gun on his leg like a swat team dude said "we told them they needed to wear helmets and now we are going in to get them." I said "you are going to go picking on twelve year olds who are skating without a helmet I motioned to his hand on his gun and asked "are you going to shoot them?"

The other two officers one even older and then a newbie looked astonished that i would question this guys motives and when I looked at them they looked down at their shoes in obvious embarrassment. I said to them " you guys can't use this gate for your covert operations. " They walked past me grimly looking at the skater kids down below the older guy said " hey maybe we should just give them a warning this time or come back later". The "peace officer" still with his hand on his gun said " no" I warned them if they were down here without helmets i was going to fine their asses."

BUt by then the offending kids had skated off they went down anyway to spoil the atmosphere and then retreated back past me and my friend who was helping. The only big crime this town has seen in five years is three ex police officers from Santa Rosa who committed armed robbery on the Brinks truck here two years ago. [See PD article on that here. -Barry] Too many cops with nervy gun hands.

[onthepath]

sorry. i don't get the "personal problem" piece. i've subscribed to this post for four years now and this is the first complaint-from me. i think there's a disconnect on the local police force between safety and gratuitous imposition of power, paid for by you and me. i'm aware of the hazards of police work. as i said somewhere in this thread i have lived in towns whose law enforcement populations seemed reasonable and actually part of the community. i am comfortable in voicing my view. if i had been speeding i would have taken responsibility for it.

Every day that a police officer puts on a uniform and goes to work is a day that police officer risks her or his life.

I've been driving a similar route from San Francisco to Sebastopol frequently for several years and I've been pulled over once, and rightly so, for speeding. If you are finding yourself being pulled over regularly, perhaps the common denominator is your driving? Maybe you're not examining the issue deeply enough.

I rarely respond to anything on these boards, preferring instead to simply read the many interesting posts, but when you use your personal problems to besmirch individuals who are your first line of defense in an emergency, and further, who you HOPE will come out in great numbers when you need them, you force me to begin flinging my opinions around.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not an apologist for poor behavior, but there are good cops and bad cops, just like there are good and bad drivers, know what I mean? Might be time to put your broad brush away.

[Tinkerbell]

I have been stopped many times by the Sebastopol Police for "non-offenses," but never given a ticket nor a warning. I believe my car was being profiled because it was an old car and needed a paint job; I think the officers were surprised to see an older lady driving such a vehicle. Since I have gotten another used car that does not need a paint job, I have never been stopped.

Every day that a police officer puts on a uniform and goes to work is a day that police officer risks her or his life.

I've been driving a similar route from San Francisco to Sebastopol frequently for several years and I've been pulled over once, and rightly so, for speeding. If you are finding yourself being pulled over regularly, perhaps the common denominator is your driving? Maybe you're not examining the issue deeply enough.

I rarely respond to anything on these boards, preferring instead to simply read the many interesting posts, but when you use your personal problems to besmirch individuals who are your first line of defense in an emergency, and further, who you HOPE will come out in great numbers when you need them, you force me to begin flinging my opinions around.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not an apologist for poor behavior, but there are good cops and bad cops, just like there are good and bad drivers, know what I mean? Might be time to put your broad brush away.

[photolite]

I have been stopped once for speeding through Sebastopol. I was in a hurry and sped down Main St. headed east. Around Calder I saw the lights flashing behind me and pulled over. The officer was courteous and told me why he stopped me. I acknowledged he was correct and told him it wasn't typical of me to speed down Main St. but I was late for a meeting, which I was, but agreed I was wrong and apologized. He was a good guy about it, he let me off with a warning and it hasn't happened again.

To Mary C.: I agree that these folks put their lives on the line daily and, unlike other high risk jobs like logging, etc., they are doing it for you and me. I know a few local cops and have never seen any indication of corruption so common in other less fortunate communities (and with which I have unfortunately come into occassional contact).

To Rikwiz: The 300 bucks is a bummer but if it was your first time cited you had the option of attending traffic school and having it removed from your record, thereby saving the additional insurance expense. Since you didn't address that option I suspect this may not have been your first speeding ticket, which would also account for the judge accepting the officer's story over yours.

[pleiad7]

I'm always somewhat baffled when I see a topic like this. I have lived in Sebastopol since 1996 (with only a short 2 year hiatus), and in this time I have never been approached by an SPD officer - not when out walking, and not when driving either, regardless of time of day/night. My impression has always been that they're fairly laid back and unobtrusive in their presence. On occasion I do see them patrol for speeding and crosswalk violators on S. Main or Petaluma Ave, and quite honestly, I have no problem with that, given that I used to live on S. Main and would see cars zoom by doing 50+ mph in the left lane all day long. I'm not trying to invalidate others' experiences here, just relaying my own. So what is it that makes them target certain people but not others? Appearance? License plate number? Coincidence?

[Dixon]

I moved from Cotati to Sebastopol in 1986 and lived there off and on for a few years, and, though now living in Santa Rosa, I go to Sebastopol an average of about once a week. I don't think I've ever been pulled over in the Sebastopol area in all those years, nor does it appear to me that they pull over more people than an average city of that size. It helps that I'm very careful not to speed in Sebastopol, as I've heard they're tough on speeding there--which is probably a good thing. Those of you who are getting pulled over a lot may be habitually speeding or driving badly in other ways, (not using turn signals, not yielding right of way, etc.) without necessarily even being conscious of it. I've seen that a lot, especially in younger drivers.

But I'm also aware that when I had long hair and a beard (before I lived in Sebastopol) I got hassled by cops fairly regularly in some areas. So that may possibly be a factor for some of you in Sebastopol--bigoted cops "profiling" you because they don't like your looks. Who knows? I don't wanna necessarily pooh-pooh someone's tale of getting screwed over just because it hasn't happened to me. That stuff does happen.

[AJL]

You know it could have been much worse.
I went out for a walk and was stopped 50 yards from my house for being in a city park about 15 minutes after the park closed at 10 pm.
One officer physically hurt me practically pulling me over backwards by my elbows while my hands were above my head.
I complained to the chief and he apologized to me.
It seems the city is quick to ask forgiveness, but reluctant to be forgiving.
My advice is stay out of the city parks after 10 pm.

[Dorothy Friberg]

I see these guys as revenuers, I'm sure that a portion of the court costs go to Sebastopol as regular income. Also, an officer who is challenged in court gets paid overtime to appear so they love it. I usually bypass town for this reason therefore depriving local businesses of my patronage. Although I have not recently been hasseled, many times in the 80s and 90s when my son went to school nearby I was plundered for assorted violations. As to 'putting their life on the line', does that diminish the value of my life, being targeted for conjured "offenses" and diminishing my meager finances? Even though I will probably be targeted for this public statement, I sign my name.
Dorothy Friberg

I have been stopped by the Sebastopol Police four times the last time they gave me a ticket for speeding. THe other times they stopped me were for going over a double yellow line, and twice for no reason what so ever. the first three times they shine a light in my eyes in my car and all but once made me get out of the car and do a battery of tests while two or three other officers stood by one with his hand on his pistol. They never gave me a ticket just hassled the hell out of me.

The last time I was driving up main street at about 9pm on my way to my Girlfriends place. I saw the officer looking at me as I turned on to main street and so minded my speed and watched for anyting that might alert them to me since i did not want to be stopped and hassled again. Much to my chagrin they zoomed up to me just before the old gas station . The officer claimed i was "speeding" though this was not true. I gave him my stuff and just let them get over with it since they have nothing else to do. I gave him officer Fury my stuff one of them was the out of date one. The other was in my glove box so when he came back to tell me this he did not let me get the other but gave me a ticket for that as well but not before insisting that He search my vehicle for it. He then went around and searched every nook and cranny of my car and never came up with it even though it was in my glove box . He then served me with a speeding ticket for going forty in a 25 area. I was pissed and sent a letter to the town council which netted me a meeting with the Sargent at the station who tried valiantly to get me to retract my complaint.

I took the officer to court where he lied to the judges face. The judge as with 100 percent of the traffic court trials found me guilty and now I pay a three hundred dollar fine and my insurance goes up !

These guys are not interested in making the streets safe as they all know that they can write people up for anything they make up and the judge will believe them every time. FOE.

[rikwiz]

I have not been pulled over in Sebastopol for any legitimate reason as I have already accounted. I was stopped by an over zealous officer in Santa Rosa who claimed i run a stop sign which was also not true. I fought it in court and lost. So yes I do have a record of sorts but as I said I went to court to fight the ticket I was the very last person to be called so i was given the horrid opportunity to witness the Santa Rosa kangaroo traffic court. Each person no matter what the story or how much it looked as though the officer had made up the incident the citizen was given a guilty and sentenced to as much fine as the law allowed.This is precisely what happened again this time.

The Sebastopol Police are a private contractor like Black Water and are actually here to make money .. The Lieutenant told me in his office that there are over 250 ways to stop a a car and issue a ticket and his men know them all. So while these guys are out creating false stops and then lying on the stand the night time business in Sebastopol will suffer more and more as less and less people go to them for fear of the nightly harassment.

I have been stopped once for speeding through Sebastopol. I was in a hurry and sped down Main St. headed east. Around Calder I saw the lights flashing behind me and pulled over. The officer was courteous and told me why he stopped me. I acknowledged he was correct and told him it wasn't typical of me to speed down Main St. but I was late for a meeting, which I was, but agreed I was wrong and apologized. He was a good guy about it, he let me off with a warning and it hasn't happened again.
...
To Rikwiz: The 300 bucks is a bummer but if it was your first time cited you had the option of attending traffic school and having it removed from your record, thereby saving the additional insurance expense. Since you didn't address that option I suspect this may not have been your first speeding ticket, which would also account for the judge accepting the officer's story over yours.

[rossmen]

friend or foe? depends on your economic status, or appearance of it. if you drive an old car you will be stopped. the spd is proud of their proactive policing, they write more traffic tickets per year than any other city in sonoma county including santa rosa. they love it when a stop nets someone with other legal problems, this is their primary goal as there is little else to do in sebastopol. chief weaver complains about the staffing being the same as 20 years ago. the truth is that reserve officers, who have attended the jc training and often completed apprenticeship, double the size of the force and are volunteering to gain experience and connections to get a paid law enforcement job. sebastopol is welcoming and easy...

i have fought a spd ticket and won. i have rode along on a friday nite and observed the (in my opinion) the economic segregation actions of the spd. i have stood before the city council and challenged them to change the law enforcement strategy of sebastopol (with a potential savings of 1 mil/yr). i have sat with weaver for an hour (after requesting 15 min) and listened to him proudly defend the department which he says has a higher approval rating than the fire department. i have been turned down by weaver for a mediated conversation about the spd actions against me. i have had a ticket dismissed by the spd after appealing. make no mistake, sebastopol is weaver town. and i am sure weaver reads threads concerning his department.

ps, my brother mad miles is off wacco at barry's choice. we are in barry town. whether you think this is oppressive or not is your opinion.

[bodegahead]

Very interesting valid obsevations. i agree what you say about economic segragetion, appearance and type of car. I have experienced it and/or witnessed it...

friend or foe? depends on your economic status, or appearance of it. if you drive an old car you will be stopped. the spd is proud of their proactive policing, they write more traffic tickets per year than any other city in sonoma county including santa rosa. they love it when a stop nets someone with other legal problems, this is their primary goal as there is little else to do in sebastopol. chief weaver complains about the staffing being the same as 20 years ago. the truth is that reserve officers, who have attended the jc training and often completed apprenticeship, double the size of the force and are volunteering to gain experience and connections to get a paid law enforcement job. sebastopol is welcoming and easy...

i have fought a spd ticket and won. i have rode along on a friday nite and observed the (in my opinion) the economic segregation actions of the spd. i have stood before the city council and challenged them to change the law enforcement strategy of sebastopol (with a potential savings of 1 mil/yr). i have sat with weaver for an hour (after requesting 15 min) and listened to him proudly defend the department which he says has a higher approval rating than the fire department. i have been turned down by weaver for a mediated conversation about the spd actions against me. i have had a ticket dismissed by the spd after appealing. make no mistake, sebastopol is weaver town. and i am sure weaver reads threads concerning his department.

ps, my brother mad miles is off wacco at barry's choice. we are in barry town. whether you think this is oppressive or not is your opinion.

[podfish]

...Unfortunately, this society is being taught that nothing is their responsibility. Everything that happens in life has someone else to blame, so let's blame authority.

damn kids. In MY day we took responsibility seriously.... 'course the old people said pretty much the same thing then as the OP does now, but what did they know. They were old. It's gotta be worse now, it always is.


back on topic - I've been pulled over several times, but I don't really have an issue with the way they do it.
When I was a damn kid myself in LA, I got some interesting lessons in the range of ways you can expect police to act. Our local force seems about what you'd expect for a community like this.

"Mad" Miles should be in shortly to call me names and ridicule my position...

it's been a long while between Mile's posts. I think he said something about finding a new social media home. Maybe the attraction will fade...

[Cali707]

Sebastopol police are known for being some of the worst in the County. A lot of people on here saying they aren't bad aren't driving through Town past 10pm at night. Tonight just going straight through town, I saw 3 regular cops, and a volunteer cop. Sebastopol doesn't need 4-5 cops on duty at night time, NOTHING BAD HAPPENS. It's ridiculous how our tax money is going to waste paying 4 officers to be on duty a night to write tickets to generate revenue. Like other people have said in this thread, they HARASS everyone. A lot of you guys are 30+, have you ever thought how bad it is being a teenager?

So many times have I been parked at 711 in my car with a few friends eating some food we just bought, and a sebastopol cop pulls up and makes us all get out, take down all our info, and search us all. This is the most minor thing that usually happens to me.

Incident 1- Just got done eating a sandwich I bought at safeway and started driving home through town towards Rohnert park. I was driving with my head rested on my hand, and my arm was resting on my center console, as I usually drive, and as a lot of people drive. I pass a cop off the side of the road, and look straight at him through my open window, and he stares me directly in the eyes. He then gets behind me and pulls me over. He proceeds to tell me that I was on my cell phone talking to someone and he without a doubt saw me. After talking to the officer, I requested the chief be called down, and he came. Once he showed up, he said the ticket was already written, and they couldn't do anything about it. The cop that pulled me over started getting mad at me because he thought I was lying to the chief purposely trying to make him look bad. WTF??? I then find out that the Officer is a volunteer officer from PETALUMA ON HIS FIRST DAY IN SEBASTOPOL. We already have 4+ cops rolling around the streets, and now they are HIRING out of city officers as well? It's a joke. The next day, I call up my cell-phone provider, and have them email my call logs and texts log to me to show my innocence. I then took the logs to court and got my ticket overturned no questions asked. What if this officer mistakenly thought I was holding a gun???

Incident 2- One night me and a friend were driving through Sebastopol on our way to safeway. As I passed Rite-Aide on my left hand side, I noticed a volunteer cop on the street between Rite-Aide and Safeway. I continued to pull into Safeway and got some food with my friend. As we were walking out, a real Sebastopol cop pulled up right next to my car and got out. He said that I was reported going 5 MPH over the speed limit. I asked the cop by who, and he sad that there was a volunteer that saw me. I immediately remember the volunteer cop I passed lurking in the shadows. I then asked if there was anyway for me to see the Speed Gun results of me speeding, and the cop said that the Volunteers don't usually carry speed guns, and that the volunteer that saw me ESTIMATED me going 5 miles over the speed limit. Who can estimate what 5 mph over the speed limit is??? Are you kidding me. What cop beside Sebastopol cops would ever write a speeding ticket for someone going 5 mph over the speed limit EVEN WITH a Speed Gun as proof.

Incident 3- My first car was a little beat up Chevy S10 truck that used to be my Grandpas. The first night that I got it, I was driving through town and a cop pulls me over saying that I have a tail hitch that is blocking my license plate. My license plate was fully legible and nothing was obstructed. I learned later that in all the years of my grandpa driving it, he never once got pulled over for his tailhitch. I believe that once the Sebastopol cop saw that I was a teenager with a hat on, he flipped around and followed me for miles looking for something to pull me over on. Once he saw a tow hitch, he saw it as his excuse. He then proceeded to the typical DUI checks that are pretty degrading when you are on the side of the road and every person in Sebastopol knows each other.

They harass people to no end, and it's ridiculous. Every night I drive through town, I get at least one officer following me WAITING for me to mess up somehow. Just the other night, I was going through town and a Sebastopol Cop passes going the opposite direction, illegally flips around in the middle of the street, and gets behind me and proceeds to follow me. Once he saw that he had no excuse to pull me over or that I wasn't swerving, he illegally flipped around again.

I've lived in Sebastopol for longer than any of the police officers have been on duty, and it has gotten to the point where it has significantly ruined my own town. I no longer enjoy drives through Sebastopol, and luckily I live by the Flea Market so I can drive completely around Sebastopol on backroads without driving through town and asking, "what is going to happen this time"

I'm not a cop hater, and I don't speak down about cops and actually respect a lot of cops/police. However, something has got to change with the Sebastopol Police. I know a lot of them have good intentions, but they've crossed the lines. What they are doing is pure harassment. All of what I've said it completely true, I'm not trying to make them look worse in anyway, I feel the truth needs to be told and I told it exactly how it happened.

[heresbruce]

Another point of view, for what it is worth: At the risk of being attacked by those with differing ideas; I worked as a social worker for 20 years for Child Protective Services, and have spoken with Jeff Weaver and other members of his force on many occasions, officially and unofficially. I got calls at 3 AM to meet them at a home where a father and mother were fighting while under the influence of drugs and alcohol and their many children were scared to death, especially when one of the parents had a weapon. The police department officers have to walk into these situations cold and sort things out, keeping the children, the parents, the neighbors and themselves safe. In fact, one of those officers used to be a foster parent as well. I also had a son who as a teen went to school at Analy and did those things teens do.

In the past I have had my own issues with law enforcement and learned a lot by face to face contact and seeking to open my understanding. For all those with negative opinions about the Sebastopol Police Department, I encourage you to talk to them, the officers and Chief Weaver. The Sebastopol Police Department are an observant vigilant force, and many citizens of Sebastopol feel safer as a result. As Mary observed, there are good and bad in all places. In the meantime, you are welcome to your opinion of the police department but until you have talked to them or worked with them, your opinion is based on your feelings and thereby personal, and possibly ill formed and incomplete. And that is just my opinion...
Bruce Schmidt

Sebastopol police are known for being some of the worst in the County. A lot of people on here saying they aren't bad aren't driving through Town past 10pm at night. Tonight...