- CHP and SFPD stopped 85 cyclists before they entered the Bay Bridge.
- Officers seized 85 bicycles after the group rode up an off-ramp.
- Police say riders endangered drivers, pedestrians, and themselves.
Cyclists and drivers don’t always get along, especially in busy urban traffic. What we see less often are moments when cyclists and law enforcement intersect this directly. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what took place in California over the weekend.
Authorities in San Francisco say they received word of a large group of cyclists riding recklessly through the area. These weren’t what the cyclist community would consider “roadies” on an organized group ride. Based on video and photographic evidence released by the San Fransisco Police Department, they were breaking countless traffic rules, mostly on BMX bikes with a few e-motos in the mix.
More: Police Officer Distracted By Phone Hits Cyclist While Turning
“Throughout this incident, riders were witnessed riding directly at moving vehicles, swerving in and out of traffic, and coming dangerously close to pedestrians traveling on city streets,” said the California Highway Patrol in a statement.
How Officers Closed The Net
Aerial video shot by police helicopters shows the riders flowing in and around traffic downtown. Police in the air relayed important information to those on the ground, and police set up a bit of a trap. Officers positioned themselves to be able to stop any attempt at a highway takeover, and it worked perfectly.
Photos CHP Golden Gate, SFPD
As the riders made their way up the wrong side of a highway exit ramp, police were already waiting at the top to stop them. When the riders tried to double back, more officers had already rolled into position at the bottom of the ramp. The riders had nowhere to go. Police seized every single bike and e-moto in the group and processed every person as part of the bust.
“What we saw yesterday was not harmless fun,” CHP San Francisco Area Capt. Tim McCollister said in a statement. “This is no place for games or risky behavior. Riding the wrong way on the freeway poses a serious danger not only to cyclists but also to the motoring public traveling at freeway speeds.”
The entire operation shows how modern police tools like aerial observation and real-time communication can help officers increase safety and hold people accountable. What’s more is that the police didn’t need a single AI camera or license plate reader to pull it off. Talk about a win-win.
