Close to Home: Slamming the brakes on sideshows

Sep 17, 2023

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and don't necessarily reflect The Press Democrat editorial board's perspective. The opinion and news sections operate separately and independently of one another.

As I stepped into the role of chief of police last year, a top community concern was the dangers of illegal sideshows in Santa Rosa. One year later, I am pleased with our progress and encouraged by the success of partnering with others to accomplish a shared vision.

Throughout 2021 and 2022, dangerous and illegal sideshows regularly broke out across Santa Rosa. Hundreds of vehicles and spectators gathered and took over intersections. They blocked access to the road and terrorized our community for hours as drivers recklessly spun donuts in the roadway. Fights and shootings were reported in the crowds of spectators, and responding police officers were greeted with rocks and bottles thrown at their patrol vehicles.

Hundreds of 911 calls flooded into our dispatch center, and community members angrily questioned why it took so long for police officers to respond and shut down the dangerous behavior.

As chief of police, I listened to feedback from community listening sessions hosted by our Community Engagement Team. I personally called and spoke with residents who sent frustrated emails regarding sideshows and the perceived limited police response. I met with our concerned City Council members to strategize about possible solutions.

Our Police Department command staff team and traffic officers created a plan to stop these dangerous sideshows before they grew into overwhelming events. Our police supervisors provide clear direction to our officers and dispatchers on our new response plan when these sideshows erupt in our community.

We created a countywide sideshow training open to all officers in Sonoma County to learn the best practices for safely disrupting sideshows. The Santa Rosa Police Department led the way for our allied agencies and created a law enforcement sideshow protocol, which was accepted by the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Chiefs Association. Each police chief and the sheriff agreed to a mutual aid protocol where officers and deputies from around the county would respond to assist when significant sideshow events occur in our county.

The Santa Rosa Police Department studied city ordinances around the state and created a comprehensive sideshow ordinance. Our city manager, Maraskeshia Smith, and Santa Rosa City Council members led the way for political leaders in Sonoma County, and Santa Rosa passed the first sideshow prohibition ordinance in Sonoma County.

We partnered with our Transportation and Public Works Department to focus on roadway improvements to discourage sideshows. City crews installed raised Botts’ dots and traffic delineators at intersections frequented by sideshow participants.

Santa Rosa Police officers working the streets are the true heroes of this story, facing the dangers of confronting these unpredictable sideshow events and the rowdy crowds associated with them. Our officers began moving in quickly, shutting down the sideshows, and impounding the involved vehicles. Citations were issued, and arrests were made when appropriate. More than a hundred vehicles were impounded after police officers witnessed them being involved in illegal sideshow behavior. The message was sent loud and clear — Santa Rosa will not tolerate this dangerous and illegal behavior on our streets.

Our new proactive and organized approach has worked to eliminate this behavior in Santa Rosa. Sideshows, previously a weekly disturbance, have become a rare occurrence in Santa Rosa. As chief of police, I am empowered by the success of the collaborative partnership between our community, city leaders, police leaders, city of Santa Rosa departments and the brave men and women of the Santa Rosa Police Department who executed the plan. I am very excited to collaborate with these same individuals and tackle any new problems we may face together as a community.

John Cregan is Santa Rosa's chief of police.

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The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and don't necessarily reflect The Press Democrat editorial board's perspective. The opinion and news sections operate separately and independently of one another.