San Francisco Police Department: Cowardly Cops

One of my general measuring sticks for Left Wing Liberal Assholes (LWLA) has been: what would have happened had this been perpetrated by _________ (insert GOP or "Conservative" here). Read this story and then posit: what would have happened had a horde of, say, bicycle-riding Conservatively-linked thugs assaulted a Democratic mother with child in a vehicle?

Scan on, dear BZ reader (from SFGate.com):

Then, after a few swear words, the alleged victim took off on his bike while the rest of the crowd continued to yell at both the cops and the van. Sgt. Ed Callejas -- the lead cop on the scene and a veteran of Critical Mass rides since their inception -- said he'd never seen anything like it before.

"I've seen the bikes swarm cars, and scratch them as they go by. I've seen guys get out of their cars and start fighting with the bikers, but if you had seen the faces on those little girls in tears,'' Callejas said.

"All I could do was apologize for what they had been through." The sergeant suggested that Ferrando write a letter to the mayor.

Estimated damage to the car: $5,300.

Philosophy of Critical Mass:

Those Critical Mass participants who break the law sometimes defend their actions based on their belief that the special circumstances surrounding Critical Mass means obeying the letter of the law would be more dangerous and inconvenient for all road users. In addition, some participants say that typical laws governing bicycle road users are unfair compared with those governing pedestrians and motorists, and that street design and traffic laws heavily favour motor vehicle users: breaking the law in the context of Critical Mass is therefore an act of civil disobedience against this unfair legal arrangement. Still others say that they are simply living life as they wish it to be for a few hours each month, making culture which favors motorists obsolete and irrelevant.

Okay, let me see if I have this right: a crowd of roughly 3,000 Critical Mass bicyclist thugs surround a mother in her car, do $5,300 damage, smash the rear window of their family van, cause the little girls inside to scream in terror -- and rightly so -- and the SFPD motor cops who are nearby ("the squad of motorcycle cops who were assigned to keep an eye on the ride") do nothing. Nothing.

In summary from the SFPD Sergeant: This is San Francisco where cops have no balls and, even if we had them, we'd likely find then tinsnipped from our groin by our liberal Mayor and council because, after all, we much prefer our paychecks and our pensions to clashing with various "protected classes and species." You write the letter, Ms. Victim -- we can't jeopardize our comfy jobs or our spot in the motor unit.

We sit there and they just go right through the red lights,'' Sgt. Callejas said. "What else can we do? Arrest one rider while 500 keep going?

Why yes, Sgt. Callejas, that is PRECISELY what you do. How many SFPD motor officers are assigned to the ride each Friday? Two? Three? Make it four or more. Designate one of those officers to be the videographer. Designate one officer as the contact officer. Designate the other two or more officers as cover for the officer making the stop. Cite one at a time for as long as your shift lasts.

If, following the stop the swarm return, you continue with your citation and video everything. If it gets out of hand, call for backup. One way or the other, this band of Spandex Thugs needs to be provided a Reality Check.

And SFPD: you completely disgust me. You make me ashamed to be a cop. Here's a unique concept: try doing your fucking jobs.

BZ