How Many Police Assets does it take?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:17 am

Ö To arrest a wind surfing instructor in Alameda?

No Joke ñ Yesterday in an incredible show of force by the East Bay Regional Parks Department autonomous Police Force

2 Motorcycle Officers
2 Officers on Horseback
2 ATV Officers
1 Truck with Officer (ës)
1 Patrol Car with Officer (ës)
Plus
1 very expensive Helicopter
With
An official to approve this display
And
Someone to make the callÖ

Were all standing on the beach wondering how to arrest a guy on a jet ski giving wind surfing lessons 500 yards from the beachÖ

Keystonesque because among all those Police assets hiding in the bushes not one of them had a VHF radio! All they had to do was call VHF 16. Instead, the helicopter circled demanding over a loud speaker that they move to the beach immediately;ÖIn the surging downdraft off the whirling rotors. (Gives a whole new meaning to the concept of identifying upwind direction)

East Bay Regional Parks ended up handcuffing the instructor on an Alameda sidewalk and taking him to the county jail. Eight hours later releasing this bald white guy in a tight wet suit onto the streets of East Oakland with out a quarter to make a phone call for a ride.

What is the crime?
East Bay Regional Parks feels that they ìown the waterî to the middle of the Bay and they need their cut of any commercial activity on ìtheirî water.
Teaching windsurfing on county water apparently is a crime.

Nice to see the park is using the funds approved by last yearís initiative so judiciously!

dewey · Post by **dewey** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 11:45 am

This kind of selfishness will be the downfall......No I want all the business on public property, funded by all taxpayers!!! For get about the local business across the street that pays taxes for the helecopter. Lets give all rights to someone from another city.

Really guys, what's going on here?? Is there not enough students to share?? We could all play a part in stopping this. Vote with your pocket book. Don't buy anything from shops with this selfish policy.

I hear it's not illegal to teach yourself to kite on the beach, but if someone else is teaching on the beach (even for free), it's to the clink for you.
Dewey

kitechick · Post by **kitechick** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:31 pm

Yeah...

Why is the park wasting an enormous amount of public funds for such a nonsense. This action was so out of proportion that I wonder what their motivation is. Why is all this happening?

I pay a lot of taxes and do not want that money to be spent in such a ridiculous way.

Last year the park was complaining about the governor cutting their funds. I was supportive for the park at that time. After this event yesterday - haha! Not any more. They showed off that they have tons of cops who obviusly did not have any more important cases (those were Park Police not Alameda Police) with a lot of toys and someone on top not hesitating to throw thousands (helicopter!) out of the window for such a questionable mission. I mean - do they really own the Bay Waters??? And if yes why are they not equipped with a boat or a VHF radio? Then one cop would have been enough.

This money which was spent yesterday could be better put to work to pay schools, provide supplies for the poor, add funds to hospitals and so on.

Anyways - All of that is unacceptable. Financiall, morally, ethically.

- Sylvia
ps:To answer your question: There seems to be more demand for kiting lessons in Alameda right now than can be accomodated to by the 2 schools. Windsurfing I do not know.

dewey · Post by **dewey** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 1:07 pm

Public property!!! Jeff pays more in tax dollars to the city of Alameda than Boardsports. (let's use real names) Tom (Boardsports) got in early and now he owns the beach?? Yes we all pay taxes, but boardsports owns it. How could this be?? The park is run by people who really don't know better. I have sat on several development and downtown improvement boards here in Fairfield, and let me tell you the things that get passed with out any thought, are what hurts local businesses the most. That's the way it is. It's up to us who's business we patronize. If you feel strongly that Jeff has been wronged start a boycott. Hell you guys in the Bay area will protest at the drop of a hat. Something can be done.

Dewey

MehYam · Post by **MehYam** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 1:27 pm

dewey wrote:Really guys, what's going on here?? Is there not enough students to share?? We could all play a part in stopping this. Vote with your pocket book. Don't buy anything from shops with this selfish policy.

I'm confused. So it was the municipal park whatever that took action to have him arrested because they feel they're entitled to a share of the profit? I don't understand what this has to do with one shop or the other.

dewey · Post by **dewey** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 2:02 pm

Boardsports has concession right to the shack. Hence they are the law on the beach. I'm not to sure if it is legal, but that's how it is. I remember a few years ago we were forced to report illegal lessons. It started way back when there were only a few kiters in the bay. It's a outdated situation at best.

Dewey

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:10 pm

Sylvia

You spend a lot of time on the water. More power to ya.

Do you really pay that much in Tax's?
How much?
U.S.?
:mrgreen:

jjm · Post by **jjm** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:44 pm

I heard about this twice today at Sherman. As a few pointed out above, this was an absolute waste of tax dollars. Assuming they didn't know how to get in contact with the person, this could have been settled with an officer on the beach trying to wave him down or wait for him to come to shore. Better yet, dispatch a boat. If they had access to a f'n helicopter they damn well better have access to a boat.

Assuming that money came out of the parks budget, I would much rather see that going to employ an additional representative to do park cleanup or something.

If I was a resident where my local taxes were paying for this, I'd write a letter to the powers that be. In fact, can someone please provide a contact to do so?

paulburnett · Post by **paulburnett** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:57 pm

If I was a resident where my local taxes were paying for this, I'd write a letter to the powers that be. In fact, can someone please provide a contact to do so?

I am a resident of Alameda, and have a season pass to East Bay Parks (which includes Crown Beach). Somebody should get us a list of addresses so we can all write to the powers that be about this travesty.

People, if we don't speak up, we've either accepted this behavior or lowered our standards.

kies · Post by **kies** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 9:33 pm

They also had 6 under cover FBI

i think it all happened because someone said the guys name was

Al Kite-a :roll:

BayAreaKiteboarding.com

How Many Police Assets does it take?

Who is online