San Francisco targets illegal sideshows with proposed new laws

SF mayor seeks new city laws to combat sideshows

After two separate sideshows disrupted traffic on Sunday, Mayor London Breed announced on Friday that she's pushing for the board of supervisors to vote on four ordinances she believes will help curb sideshows.

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco city leaders are proposing new measures to help crack down on illegal sideshows.

The intersection of 16th Street and South Van Ness Avenue became a spectacle Sunday evening as dozens of motorcyclists, ATV riders, and cars participated in two impromptu sideshows in the city.

"It’s a big headache because sometimes when these sideshows go on, they stop traffic. And so traffic is backed up for miles. And people are frustrated; they don’t know what’s going on," said Courtnie Neaslay, a San Francisco resident who lives near the site of one sideshow.

Mayor London Breed announced a plan at a news conference Friday with local leaders to strengthen existing laws to help eradicate sideshows.

"We welcome the opportunity for people to ride the streets of San Francisco safely. But when you start crossing those lines, we will take action and we will be aggressive," said Breed.

The mayor's proposal includes making it illegal to participate in sideshows and impeding police from interrupting sideshows.

"We have to put a stop to this. We have to curb this. And we have to deter people from doing these types of activities," said Police Chief Bill Scott said.

Officials said last year's passage of Proposition E has provided the 1,600-officer police force with additional tools to combat crime. Police now use drones, license plate readers, and surveillance technology to monitor and catch criminals.

There are also stronger connections with regional and state law enforcement agencies to apprehend sideshow participants when they scatter.

"The quicker we can get that information, the quicker we can relay it to everyone, and we can work together to tackle this situation collaboratively," said Chief Don Goodbrand of the California Highway Patrol.

Some civil liberties experts said the mayor's proposal is mostly sound, though there are concerns that one aspect could be problematic.

"There is a constitutional right to freedom of assembly. And it has to be narrowly confined to situations in which you’re not interfering with people’s right to assembly if they’re just there," said Professor Margaret Russell, a constitutional law expert at Santa Clara University. "And there’s always a chance with enforcement that it could be too broad."

Residents impacted by sideshows back the mayor's effort, adding that safety must prevail.

"People can get hurt and if this is a subterfuge, so people won’t act dangerously and get hurt, then it’s probably good for the community," said San Francisco resident Steve Stein.

Breed has yet to submit her plan in writing to the Board of Supervisors, and no timeframe has been given for that.

Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Instagram, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU.