California Democrats’ New Proposal Would Make Police Useless Against Criminals

We can always count on Democrats to make crime worse in California. Enter Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and his SB50. This bill would prohibit police officers from stopping or detaining an operator of a vehicle or bicycle if they are committing a low-level offense, as defined. Infractions include speeding, failing to yield, and cell phone use, among others. Some people think that this is not a big deal, and no harm can come from it. They are wrong.

We can all agree that California’s crime is out of control. You don’t have to look far to find stories about shootings, brazen daytime robberies, street takeovers, and riots. People are becoming accustomed to it.

Traffic and pedestrian stops were taught to me by my former colleagues and I implemented them during my tenure as a policeman. These stops are used to catch criminals who are committing a criminal act, fleeing the scene of the crime, or otherwise committing criminal activity. They may also be using vehicles to travel from one place to another or evade police. Do you mean that I stopped every vehicle for any infraction? It doesn’t. It means that we are repeatedly taught how to recognize someone who has something hidden or matches a description of a suspect. Why would a man, for example, wear a long pair of jeans, a sweatshirt with a hood over his head, and a hat on a 110-degree day? If you don’t think that looks suspicious, I have beachfront property in Twentynine Palms.

We can talk with the drivers of the cars during traffic stops. You can see how they are feeling, if they are nervous, avoiding eye contact, sweating in the cold, or hiding something. I was trained in analytical interviewing which helped me identify these tells. This is similar to how a poker player can see their opponents tells. I used this training and my experience to recover many stolen cars, lost or stolen firearms, recover dozens of pounds of illegal narcotics and make hundreds of arrests.

Street cops who conduct traffic stops are not motor officers but rather beat cops and crime suppression teams. We stop people the majority of the time because we suspect criminal activity or the license plates match a wanted person or someone on probation, parole, or a warrant for the vehicle. We use minor traffic violations, like speeding, to initiate stops unless the license plate is attached with a warrant or another want.

State Democrats have made a job that was already difficult almost impossible since the passage of AB109, Props 47 and 57. We will not publish the identity of a Deputy Sheriff from Southern California due to the nature of work.

We took a poll, only the patrol men, and agreed to not do any more T-stops, unless it was absolutely necessary, such as if there were a drunk driver or a stolen car. We’ll request a sergeant and unit backup if we have to do it. We will not roll out to an emergency without a sergeant or a partner. We just want it shut down. We’re afraid more of being fired by our own department than of getting hurt or dying. It’s not worth it anymore.

California Democrats and Sen. Bradford are determined to destroy policing in its current form. West Hollywood’s infamous “safety Ambassadors” are unarmed employees of the city who simply watch crime and report it. They also cut five Sheriff’s Deputies from the budget for the contract to hire ambassadors. You’re car is being damaged by a maniac lunatic in front of the Sheriff’s Station. They will just sit and watch.

California has once again led the nation with ways to protect and embolden criminals AND innocent civilians. And the police are paying for it. How much longer can we tolerate this madness?