REDDING, California - A photo of Redding Police officers riding motorcycles among people lying down in South City Park raised alarm among some homeless activists, but police say the photo is of law enforcement training. “9 police motorcycles in park harassing. They were driving 20 mph next to 2 people,” wrote Redding Homeless in a tweet Wednesday morning, accompanied by photos of at least three dirt bikes and two Redding Police traffic motorcycles who appear close to at least two people on the ground in South City Park. Others also brought the issue up on other social media. But Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti said the riders were training to recertify on dirt bikes — the maneuvers had nothing to do with targeting homeless. Though the tweeted photo “doesn’t look very good,” Paoletti cautioned it isn’t enough to judge what was taking place. The two officers on traffic motorcycles were instructing other bikers in an “all-terrain motorcycle” class for several agencies. It’s part of a 40-hour course to recertify with POST, or California Peace Officer Standards and Training, said Sgt. Brian Barner, one of the instructors. Training also takes place in other areas, such as Caldwell Park and the Sacramento River Trail, Paoletti said. “It’s an all-terrain motorcycle class, so they train on all terrain,” Paoletti said. The sight of police motorcycles, dirt bikes and even cruisers on the lawn at South City Park is fairly common, a homeless woman said. She said the officers sometimes check on people and look for people who have warrants. But patrolling at the park and along Parkview Avenue has definitely increased in the past two weeks, probably a result of the chief’s July 30 town hall meeting, Jeanette Smith said. “They come through and they bust people. Generally, I think it’s harassment,” she said. The riders were members of several law enforcement agencies and when they encountered people breaking the law, they did cite them, Paoletti said. South City Park was quieter than usual on Thursday during the noon hour, and a community service officer was seen driving through the park. Smith, on Wednesday, questioned the need for so much policing. “It irritates people. They might not be doing anything wrong. All they’re doing is reading a book or sleeping. They don’t have any place to go. If they’re not doing any crime why are they hassling them?” she asked. City ordinances prohibit sleeping at public parks. Paoletti said other officers do patrol the parks. “We’re responsible to do enforcement in the community, sometimes (that’s) in the parks, sometimes (that’s) in the street,” he said. Only city vehicles are permitted to drive in the parks, said Kim Niemer, director of the Redding Community Services Department. That includes police vehicles, she said. There are no specific restrictions on speed and the type of vehicles, she said. All drivers are expected to exercise “caution and good judgment,” she said. “We appreciate the presence of police officers in parks, and our experience is they use good judgment and caution,” she said. “We haven’t experienced any issues that would cause us concern.” Police can use the dirt bikes to patrol off road, though reduced staffing levels kept them in the garage. They are often used for special events, such as Kool April Nites, Paoletti said. redding/news/local-news/photo-concerns-homeless-activists-but-police-say-more-to-story_81348915
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 05:21:37 +0000
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