ALAMEDA POLICE NOTICE TO SIDESHOW PROMOTERS AND FOLLOWERS: “DON’T COME TO ALAMEDA”

City Council Approves Staff Study Of Adding Two Drones And Other Measures To Sideline Or Shutdown Sideshows In Alameda

PREFACE TO FULL AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH APD CHIEF NISHANT JOSHI

By Larry Freeman (photos from public domain sources)

A public domain Instagram shot of a Bay Area sideshow underscores the difficulty facing police when they want to intervene to break up and hold accountable the mass mob mentality of sideshow organizers, participants and observers.

Sideshow promoters, participants and observers, which can pack upwards of 300 to 400 or more at a given event scene, may soon be under APD aerial surveillance to allow police to better identify those involved for later consequences, involving fines, bills, vehicle confiscation and possible arrest in some cases.

They may also have to contend with hardscape changes, as asphalt curbs, gates and fences to minimize space for their antics

The City Council on May 7 approved a go ahead by staff to study APD’s request to purchase two drones to help with reining in, shutting down or preempting the formation of sideshows. The drones, if approved by the Council, possibly as soon as May 21^st, would also be used for a number of other crime and public safety related purposes.

For in depth detail of the sideshow/drone story, please click here:

https://alamedaneighborhoodsnews.org/alameda-police-seek-drones-to-make-a-dent-in-sideshows

ALAMEDA POLICE SEEK DRONES TO MAKE A DENT IN SIDESHOWS

Note to the listener: This interview was conducted about a week and a half prior to APD’s drone proposal, but you will hear Chief Joshi allude to it in in very broad terms at a time when APD was preparing its drone proposal which went before The Council on May 7^th.

Audio Interview tidbits from APD Chief Joshi:

“What I’ve seen in Alameda is that the sideshow activity has increased.”

“The Alameda sideshow problem is not the same as Oakland’s, which happens on multiple days throughout the week.“

“When we become aware of a sideshow, we try to contact the participants or the promoters and say, don’t come to Alameda….. I want to send a clear message: We’re gonna cite you, we’re gonna tow you, we’re gonna bill you.”

“If there are three or four people engaged, I might send three or four officers right into the middle of it. If it’s three or four hundred, that’s a crowd management issue.”

Considerations: “What are the risks to the participants, what are the risks to the community, what are the risks to the officers?”

LISTEN HERE: