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Cop's that target Race-Tracks

Started by _TORANR AMORE_ , Apr 24 2006 02:45 PM

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#1 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 02:45 PM

Taken from The Herald-Sun today on page 17, editorial(Your Say):

Police being pushy
By Jon Davison

Since 1997, Sandown Raceway has hosted one of the most popular motoring events in Victoria.
The Easternats provides an opportunity for the owners of vehicles with extensive modifications through to others who may have borrowed mum's car to cruise the racetrack and compete in events.
It is unique in Australia, as Sandown is one of the few venues equipped with all the necessary safety standards.
As the promoter, I have worked tirelessly with the City of Greater Dandenong and the police to ensure the event is professionally staged and that entrants conduct themselves appropriately.
I am proud that Easternats is the most respected event of its type in Australia .
The whole aim is to conduct these activities off the roads, yet the police moved into Sandown and proceeded to issue unroadworthy certificates to entrants, a number of whom were pushing cars on to trailers.
They put a speed camera on Racecourse Drive, checked cars in the car parks and waited at the exit gates at Princess Highway.
It had nothing to do with road safety.

Now I have noticed this happen last year and the year before that also. One of my mates got pulled over 2 years ago leaving as a spectator and got a canarie, I was there. He drove that car everywhere and never got hassled, it was a relatively new car, he cruised out of Sandown Racecourse and BAM!
On that day, someone I know, saw this and parked further up, sprinted back to the cop car and ranted and raved to them in a panic about how there was a brawl/fight further up the street around the corner, where someone was apparently getting group bashed.
They didn't care, they said they were busy and they will attend to it later, they just sat there for another 10minutes and proceeded to write out the paperwork for the canarie. Then they casually drove down and turned down the street to where the fight was supposed to be. Too bad if someone was dying huh?

What Jon Davison said in the article is an understatement compared to what I've seen. They deliberately target most people, both entrants AND spectators and whoever else they can pick out to fill up their books.

When I left Sandown on Monday, I saw at least 4 police cars with lights flashing, where they had pulled over people on Dandenong Rd near the race track and 2 others on the side of the road waiting. (and I didn't see them holding speed cameras)

This is Totally F*cked-up and it's not even in the communities interest. It's not constructive behavior within our society, It merely discourages people to enter OFF-STREET drag racing in a SAFE and professional environment and 'makes' them take it to the streets late at night.
Who want's to go to one of these events knowing that they are going to get hassled ???

Surely there's enough crime out there (And according to the News lately, there's HEAPS of it) that these guys shouldn't have to CREATE their own work ???!!!???

This isn't a dig at cops, we would be stuffed without them. But the ones that target Race-tracks in this way should be ashamed of themselves - SERIOUSLY !!!

Edited by TORANR AMORE, 24 April 2006 - 02:54 PM.

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#2 Heath

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 02:55 PM

I think it's ridiculous but at least in Victoria, that's the way it is. Rick, you should have been at Shepparton last year; it's simply killing the event. The police presence should be large at an event like that, and tight when it comes to people going into side streets and pulling burnouts around drunk bystanders etc, in turn ruining the spirit of the event to some level.

What they should not be doing is discouraging people that are doing the right thing in the first place. Everyone can go to an abandoned area and test the abilities of their car, do some illegal shit, sometimes dangerously. The fact that they are willing to try it legally should give them the right to be left alone for a long weekend.

I wouldn't say it's the actual cop's fault, it's merely what they're told to do. Although the example you just stated sounds like horrific personal judgement, fukking oath!

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#3 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 03:11 PM

Personal Judgement??? The example I gave actually happened exactly as I described it. There were 2 other forum members there that day that witnessed this.

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#4 Heath

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 03:20 PM

On the cop's behalf! I wasn't having a go at anyone else! Sorry if you interpretted it the wrong way.

Please to tell me if you don't get what i'm saying.

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#5 _MYLJ_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 03:29 PM

maybe we should send the Police Minister an email and ask him why the "harrasment" was undertaken by the Vic. Police.

[email protected]

I'd keep it pleasent though as upsetting the minister could make it worse next time.
I do however think an explenation from the Police Minister would be appropriate.

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#6 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 03:32 PM

OK guys, how do we articulate this?

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#7 _MYLJ_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 03:42 PM

OK guys, how do we articulate this?

I'm working on it :spoton:

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#8 Heath

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 03:43 PM

That's a very good idea, but we must keep it very pleasant.

I reckon someone we should right one with suggestions from everyone, anyone interested?

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#9 LXCHEV

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 04:02 PM

Don't get me started on this topic guys, it makes my blood boil. You have already said it all for me anyway TORANR AMORE - I agree with all your points. Police are very important to have around to enforce the law, and I normally hold them in very high regard. It's when they 'target' car enthusiasts doing the right thing by attending car events such as Easternats, Springnats, drag days etc that I get so frustrated and mad and upset. I too saw what was going on at Easternats, many of my mates got canaried as they drove out the gate and were immediately pulled over and grilled.

It just does not make any sense to me. The police who are genuinely concerned about road safety and getting hoons off the streets should be hailing these events and fully supporting them. Sure, if some d*ckhead pulls a big burnout leaving the carpark or does something stupid, nail him. But everyone doing the right thing should be left the hell alone.

I know people like myself and lots of my mates will spend weeks/months preparing our cars for events, therefore completely eliminating any urge to mis-behave on the streets. I attend a lot of performance car events each year, and it gives me my "fix". Take this away from me, and guess what - suddenly I won't be getting my fix any longer in a safe, controlled environment with ambo's, and all the safety stuff. Is that what they would prefer??? Would they prefer me to race on the streets instead and do burnouts at the local supermarket??? Seeing harrassment at events really is a massive turnoff - do you return the following year or not?? The police should be welcoming and supporting people to do so, but in fact they're doing the exact opposite!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE.... ?????? They're saying if you come to this event again, we're going to give you a canary, an EPA notice, and some nice big fines too, just for good measure. THAT'S BULLSH*T!

I tell you what - the time I got canaried leaving Heathcote after a day at the racetrack, I was fuming. I was thinking why did I bother driving all that way to race safely etc etc. I was so close to never returning and taking my racing to the streets, but I got over it and moved on. But if this trend continues, things are going to get a lot worse on the streets.....

You would think in this day and age they would be smart enough to see what they are doing...... what ever happened to 'Pro-active' support??? I would love to rock up to Easternats or whatever knowing the police are supporting the event, and even give em a big thumbs up driving past em. That's how it should be...... keep us "hoons" on-side and happy, and you would be amazed at the mutual respect...

Edited by LXCHEV, 24 April 2006 - 04:04 PM.

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#10 _73LJWhiteSL_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 04:22 PM

And i wonder why the roads around my place are covered in black marks. If we don't hear at least one car doing a doughnut or a burnout each nite its unusual. :<_<:

Steve

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#11 _LX406_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 04:45 PM

I will not sit here and defend the police booking people at these sorts of events. But I must have my say....
As many of you know I can see the argument from both sides of the fence. I firmly believe that the minority ruins it for the majority. Years gone by we have seen idiots roaring up and down the road outside Sandown, doing burnouts etc. Now sometimes the police get to a stage where enough is enough, and an operation is typed out.

This year we saw the police showing its force. Without stereotyping, they probably most likely were targeting wannabe p platers in their commodores. But like most TMU members (not all) if they see a breach of the road rules, they act upon it. This has unfortunately caught a lot of entrants out.

I think we can blame the behaviour of years gone by for what happened this year.

I too drove my HG Prem home from the easternats last year, rubber all over the guards after doing two burnout comps, no hassles. This year was toatally different. I'd say enough people from the local community must have had a sook, so the bosses swung into action and dictated a zero tollerace policy.

Hope this give you an insight from the other side of the fence.

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#12 _MYLJ_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 05:02 PM

Firstly address all corespondence to the minister personally, it may help avoid his staff issueing replies.

Mine email will be something like what follows,

TO: TIMOTHY HOLDING Minister for police, Victoria.

Dear Sir, my name is ----------- -------------- I am a motorsport enthuisiast and a Taxpayer.

Over the Easter long weekend 2006 I attended the "Easternats" motorsport event at Sandown International Raceway as both a competitor and as a spectator.Over the duration of the event there was a very heavy (and heavy handed) "Traffic Police" presence at the event.
This presence was nothing more than harrasment of those that attended the event. How else can you explain that your officers were only stopping vehicles leaving the event, yet the thousand of cars travelling past on Dandenong rd were not stopped and "randomly checked for roadworthyness" only those that had attended the "Easternats". Your officers were even issuing unroadworthy notices for vehicles that were being loaded onto trailers in the car park ,due to the technicallity of the car park being a public area , very dissapointing!
Was this police presence at the event requested? If so by whom? Please explain what community good can come from the harrasment of myself and other motorsport enthuisiasts at events such as this?

There is a golden oportunity for positive police involvement in this type of amature motorsport yet it is being handled with the same droconiane heavy handedness of your predesessors ,

your sincerly (and sincerly disgusted at your officers attitude over the weekend)

etc, etc

well it will be something along those lines anyway :spoton:

oops so much for keeping it pleasent,hmmm...... looks like it might get a major re-write before I send it

you've got some very good coments there "LXCHEV" I might just include a few in my final draft :spoton:

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#13 tinkers

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 05:09 PM

It isn�t just Victoria that is targeted, every and any motorsport event will always have the boys in blue watching and most times with their book ready.

Cruzetime at Parklands is a perfect example, they do the same there, take note of cars and rego plates both in the car park and entrants cars, then those cars are pulled over on Smith St or surrounding streets. The cruise from Brisbane to Gold Coast is like a kid in a lolly shop for the police you only have to see all the candid cameras, (motorbike cops hiding in the dark just past Oxenford/Coomera)

Every speedway track I have been to has always had the police outside the track waiting (Surfers Paradise, Archerfield, Ekka, Toowoomba, Yandina, Rockhampton) to name a few.

Then there is QLD Raceway & Willowbank events, any drag day/night, Powercruise, V8 supercars, Saturday sprint days, Jamboree etc

The Summernats goes through it year after year, anyone travelling form the north knows all about the Marulan free roadworthy checks. My car has been checked that many times for everything and has always passed, until Jan 05 when the EPA got me, yet my car had passed only a few weeks earlier in QLD.

What pissed me off about that was they ONLY targeted modified cars, there was a shit heap in front of me that had smoke billowing out but was left alone!
:furious:

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#14 _LXChev366_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 05:37 PM

Your officers were even issuing unroadworthy notices for vehicles that were being loaded onto trailers in the car park ,due to the technicallity of the car park being a public area , very dissapointing!

One problem with this line of thinking...if the car is REGISTERED then whether its on a trailer or not is irrelevant.... The car must met the road rules...plain an simple...
No I have never ever been pulled over with one of my race cars on my trailer...as they know its not registered.... there is a message there for ya...

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#15 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 06:30 PM

I can understand the point of view that the cops have had the constant job of chasing idiots down on the hoon nights in that part of town which is seen as the meeting place for these hoons. I can see the extra pressure put on the police to crack down on these idiots, especially when it gets plastered all over the media and focused on by the media.

But this was NOT Hoon night!!!
Easternats was NOT Hoon night!
Hoon night is on Dandenong Rd (or Wellington rd etc etc) and a few other multilane roads in the eastern vicinity, you know what I'm talking about: Friday and Saturday nights when idiots, mainly ricers from what I've seen go out with the sole purpose to race other idiots amongst traffic, (which is the dumbest thing to do). The cops show a presence at certain times and nab them here and there, we know this we've seen them.
But the idea of targeting people as they leave a major sporting event, stereotyping them as the same Hoons is unintelligent and is destructive to the event, its purpose and its positive spin-offs. People leaving this event are aware that there is a police presence, they leave with their families, their children and they shouldn't be harassed. The police presence should've been more concerned about drink driving, yet I didn't see a booze bus (there probably was one somewhere, but I didn't see it)
And most of all, there are many people amongst the crowd that support the police in cracking down on the idiots/Hoons that race on the streets on Friday night, yet these people are un-justifiably harassed because they are leaving the event.
What sort of message does this send to the Youth anyway? Option A: spend $140 entering a safe event on a legal track and race a couple of times with $40 fuel, then leave and get canaried for sure plus any other stupid fine.
Or Option B: Spend $40 fuel and take a risk and race illegally on the streets.

The police already have operations in place to tackle street racing hoons and some of these a rather effective, however waiting outside Race-Tracks is not one of them.
The people making these decisions are not considering the ramifications & side effects of these actions and they are only exacerbate the hoon problem. These same people need to realize that they have a responsibility to every faucet of the community and society to maintain peace, balance & justice using the law as their instrument.

If it is a case of coppers developing a zero tolerance policy after having enough of hoons and the complaints coming in from residents, then instead of waiting outside Sandown RaceWay like vulchers after Easternats has ended, why don't they just sit and wait outside Noble Park Maccas instead?

Unfortunately most people can only get to Sandown by car, but a lot are reluctant to even go now. They don't need the risk of this sh*t and they will most likely be looking for alternatives.

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#16 _Keithy's_UC_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 06:45 PM

I agree with all of the above. After a 'street meet' at the dragway in Townsville, there's always a few coppers on the lookout for someone with mag wheels on their car...

I'm sick of it - bigtime.

Keith

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#17 _CHOPPER_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 07:07 PM

I've got better things to do than get hassled by cops because I just attended a much publicised motor event. I will steer clear of them. Sounds like it's better at private days ( Heathcote March 18, 2006 could be an example ) that the cops don't know about.

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#18 _TORANASS_

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Posted 24 April 2006 - 11:37 PM

Us greeks have an old saying translated its" The Green grass burns with the dry grass"..Unfortunatly it applies to more then just grass, the idiots piss of the cops and the cops come back in force and the poor dude doing the right thing gets steam rolled with all the idiots..

We need to ask ourselfs a question, do we have anysay or any influance in our youth(aka hoons) and are we doing the right thing to teach its wrong or are we encouraging this behaivour.. Just sit back and think if you(anyone reading this) can do anything to maybe make our youth understand its wrong.. I grew up with my 2 uncles wich were both rev heads and spent most there nights at Cherry Lane Altono racing everyone they could in there monaros and toranas, i wonder if thats why i done the same thing when i got a car?

As for the cops, they should know better as 2 wrongs dont make a right. They shouldnt be targeting cars being pushed on trailers thats just low down dirty.. But jump on there side of the fence and if you feel like telling these cops there doing wrong just try tellin the same officer his wrong when he has to inform an elderly couple that he just collected there 18 year old son of a pole with BBQ tongs..

Yeh its all FUKD but we must go on

John

Edited by TORANASS, 24 April 2006 - 11:39 PM.

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#19 _devilsadvocate_

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Posted 25 April 2006 - 08:13 AM

What was the strike rate with the canaries with people leaving the area in cars not on trailers, Im guessing it was very high?

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#20 _jap-xu1_

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Posted 25 April 2006 - 08:43 AM

there is cops and there is highway patrol.
2 different breeds

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#21 _svenikus_

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Posted 25 April 2006 - 09:12 AM

do we have anysay or any influance in our youth(aka hoons)..

What the? You're having a huge discussion about cops unfairly targeting innocent people because of unfair stereotypes, when clearly you are just unfairly sterotyping people yourself. I'll admit there are a fair few "hoons" that are young, fresh on their P's etc but I know of plenty of people well off their P's, well into their mid life who still "hoon", as a matter of fact, a few people I saw from the forum drag day, in my opinion would be considered "hoons" the way they were driving on the way up and back (not gonna mention any names).

How can you expect one thing from the cops, but have a completely different set of rules for yourself? isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?

Back on topic, I think it is a bit unfair that cops harass people who are trying to do the right thing, but you also have to think that a fair few of the cars are justifiably defectable. Unfortunately, innocent people get caught up in the middle of it.

Personally, I haven't heard any stories from easternats of people being pulled over and then the cops not letting them go until they found enough faults to defect the car. It's not to say it didn't happen though. Personally I think a lot of people that go to an event such as this should come to expect a police presence and if they still choose to go, then they run the risk of being pulled over and canaried. If you don't want to be canaried, just try and make sure the car is as close to roadworthy as possible and try to draw as little attention to yourself as possible.

(I realise some cops are assholes and will stop at nothing to get people, but the less reason you give them to do it, the easier it will be to fight it, should it happen)

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#22 _MYLJ_

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Posted 25 April 2006 - 02:59 PM

Ok here is what I sent to the Minister for Police ' Timothy holding'

Dear Sir, my name is Stephen T......., I am a motorsport enthusiast and a Taxpayer. I attend many motoring events each year and have done so for over 20 years now.

Over the Easter long weekend 2006 I attended the "Easternats" motorsport event at Sandown International Raceway as both a competitor and as a spectator. Over the duration of the event there was a very heavy (and heavy handed) "Traffic Police" presence at the event.
This presence was nothing more than harassment of those that attended the event. How else can you explain that your officers were only stopping vehicles leaving the event, yet the thousand of cars travelling past on Dandenong rd were not stopped and "randomly checked for roadworthiness" only those that had attended the "Easternats". Your officers were even issuing unroadworthy notices for vehicles that were being loaded onto trailers in the car park ,due to the technicality of the car park being a public area , very disappointing!
Was this police presence at the event requested? If so by whom? Please explain what community good can come from the harassment of myself and other motorsport enthusiasts at events such as this?

There is a golden opportunity for positive police involvement in this type of armature motorsport yet it is being handled with the same draconian heavy handed approach of your predecessors , what ever happened to 'pro-active' support?� Do you not think there is more to be gained by developing mutual respect between the Police and entrants at these type of events, rather than such a public display of Over zealous� Police harassment?

Please feel free to contact me via-email , or if you would prefer to discuss this matter further in person please feel free to call me on 02.......
I will also be posting this email on several forum/chatrooms as I believe this is an issue that needs to be publicly discussed.

Yours sincerely (and sincerely disgusted at your officers attitude over the weekend)

Steve.

Please voice your opinion, I believe we live in a democratic society and our voice needs to be heard, we are NOT CRIMINALS we are motoring enthusiast's!!!!!

p.s. thanks 'LXCHEV' I hope you don't mind my use of your comment

Edited by MYLJ, 25 April 2006 - 03:02 PM.

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#23 _MYLJ_

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Posted 25 April 2006 - 03:36 PM

It will aslo be worth people contacting the "Office of Police integrity(OPI) " through the following link to raise there concerns about this matter :spoton:

the more that do the more chance we have of getting our voice heard!!!!

http://www.ombudsman...complaints~&3=~

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#24 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 25 April 2006 - 05:20 PM

We need to ask ourselfs a question, do we have anysay or any influance in our youth(aka hoons) and are we doing the right thing to teach its wrong or are we encouraging this behaivour.. Just sit back and think if you(anyone reading this) can do anything to maybe make our youth understand its wrong..

I'm glad someone said that.
And the answer is... well... yes... we form clubs where only sensible behavior is tollerated and encouraged. We preach the right and the wrong on forums like this one, which are moderated to censor illegal street racing & burnouts etc. We drive around under the speed limit with bumper stickers like "street racing is NOT drag racing". From what I have seen, most of us publically try to set the example when we conduct ourselves maturely in numbers with hot street machines. And there are a dozen more examples I can think of that I'm not going to write out all day, except of one other,... We organise legal, controlled events and race tracks, where sensible public road behaviour is preached (as it was on loud speaker at the Easternats). And yet,.. we get shafted up the cracker!

I wouldn't say that the vast Majority of people at the Easternats were dry grass. From what I could tell there was green grass everywhere. I also didn't see any hooning from anyone whilst they were leaving.
The Cop's can get Rego numbers from hoons they observe hooning & street racing on the other nights I mentioned (and they do) and they can localise and pin point them by registered address (and they do). They can then burn this dry grass in their own residential suburb (and they do). They have a name for this operation, I forget what it was called.
What they did at the Easternats was wrong.

Sorry to use your words there John, It IS an old expression, over 200+ years and it was usually used in the context of war where innocents get killed. It was also used by one politician when the yanks dropped atom bombs on Japan in WW2. I think we have gotten beyond that now. And in the same context, we now infiltrate countries at war with troups in an attempt to protect the innocents (ie Vietnam).
Aside from the analogy, this is not how I would justify the actions taken at the Easternats.

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#25 _devilsadvocate_

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Posted 25 April 2006 - 07:11 PM

Guys, I think you are wasting your time with writing to the minister etc. Don�t see how they are going to see it as any different to setting up a booze bus down the road from a pub? If you haven�t had too much drink, or your car is roadworthy, what is there to get upset about?
If the police are more efficient in detecting unroadworthy vehicles in this manner, canarying them and getting them off the road�..then that is good. (They don�t have to select random vehicles for rwc inspections�..pulling up a brand new merc would be a waste of time�..taxpayers money etc��.just the vehicles that are more likely to be defectable, they�ve probably got a �likely list��and that may also depend on the look of the backward baseball cap wearing driver too)
If you feel you have been harassed, then better get witnesses and specifics��.that�s different. However, nothing posted ^ suggests that anyone was abused by the police or that any vehicle was wrongly canaried.
What about the number of canaries issued, if there were neglible numbers issued, then this could be a relevant point in claiming unwarranted attention from the police.

Edited by devilsadvocate, 25 April 2006 - 07:23 PM.