Posted by 2smokingbarrels on May 24, 2007 at 8:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Did anyone stop to think that this kid ran because of fear of the police. Simi Valley PD is well known for being too harsh and abusive, and frankly, racial profilers!

Posted by mcollinson230 on May 24, 2007 at 9:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, I think he ran because he was driving a stolen car and didn't want to get caught.

Posted by ke6fsv on May 24, 2007 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

radams73, SVPD is one of the FINEST police departments in the country. I wish I was still living in Simi ... Phoenix PD is even worse than the LAPD .. they don't do a thing out here.
Racial profiling, the officers probably didn't know the guys name until they arrested him, just because his name is Martinez, doesn't mean he has to look hispanic. And you know what, a crime is a crime, and all criminals need to be stopped!
Get a life!

Posted by 2smokingbarrels on May 24, 2007 at 9:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

DrDNA is spot on, and to think otherwise is simply idiotic! I lived in the community of Irvine where in the first week I was pulled over seven times. Yes, seven times. Why? Because I drove an '82 cutlass supreme with three different colors and one missing hubcap. Because everyone around drove BMW's or Mercedes. Yes, but the biggest factor was that I was a Mexican. How do I know this? Because I never got one ticket or warning!!! As soon as they found out my last name was Adams and I was a student at UC Irvine just trying to figure out where I could find things things in a city that was new to me, they let me go. They let me go even after pulling me over at gunpoint because they thought I was staking out cars in the parking lot of a staples. If that is not racial profiling, I don't know what is. You can sit at home with your blinders on, but the reality is in communities that predominately white, racism is still alive and properous!

Posted by 2smokingbarrels on May 24, 2007 at 10:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wake up! Try living in El Centro or Oxnard. Simi Valley glows in the dark compared to these communities. Maybe in Simi people go to bed at 8pm, but people do WORK, play and have fun at these hours of the night. Ask yourself this, if you were lost in the "barrio", would you stop and ask for directions from the locals?

Posted by sbrandenburg on May 24, 2007 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, I would sure hope that they would "profile" to their heart's content, if my car was out there, stolen by some idiot... I don't care what color the thieves are, I would just want my damn car back, so profile away, officers, if you have to!!! DUH! Who cares, anyway, if they were "profiling", seeing as how they were RIGHT!!! When I am out at 3 in the morning I expect to be pulled over, not because I look Mexican, but because most people out at that time of night are either drunk or up-to-no-good. That's just common sense...

Posted by Equitable_Enforcer on May 24, 2007 at 11:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank God that SV's officers are tough. Thank God also that they are patrolling in the early hours of the morning in an effort to thwart the increasing amount of auto burgs and gang activity.

My own city is experiencing an expansion of graffiti vandalism and other gang activity which has included gunfire incidents. A disproportionate percentage of all known perps happen to have Spanish surnames and there are some with Anglo surnames who happen to be Latinos. That is not prejudice, it is fact. Moreover, due to familial migratory patterns, gang members are now being salted in neighborhoods that were until recently very pleasant and safe places to live.

One of the first indicators of impending trouble is graffiti. Graffiti kills neighborhoods just as bullets kill people.

That said ... and I'm sure I'll draw in some criticism ... some of the finest law enforcement officers in our county are Latinos. These men and women are frequently ostracized by other Latinos. Why? Because they are willing to risk their lives each day to make our communities safe for all, regardless of ethnicity or race.

If we can deal with crime as it is without playing the race card, perhaps we can change the stats.

Posted by Anita_Corona on May 24, 2007 at 11:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

the heck with it Sylar. why should we kiss cops aces. I think obeying the city laws and minding your own business is what people need to do. It is not mandatory that citizens get involved in the community in order to get some respect from law enforcement. racial profiling is a no-win situation with them!!

Posted by shaver_one on May 24, 2007 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Radams: You said you were stopped because "I was Mexican" In the past tense...does that mean you're no longer Mexican?
BTW, I do live in Oxnard. And racism is alive and well here, too. Only, it's reverse racism. If you're not Mexican, excuse me...'hispanc'...you don't get the time of day from anyone. This city goes so overboard for people of hispanic origin, it's ridiculous. They close down the city for Cinco de Mayo and Cesar Chavez' birthday, and do little for July 4th, and nothing for Memorial Day or Veteran's Day.
Racism and racial profiling is perpetuated just as much by the "minority" populations as by those of European ancestry. And that's a fact.

Posted by littlepowers on May 24, 2007 at 12:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Kudos to Simi PD.

Posted by 2smokingbarrels on May 24, 2007 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Shaver One: Semantics! So stay on the topic. It is obvious that many of you feel that you should give up your constitutional rights to be safe. Well I don't. I feel that I should be treated the same whether I'm in Oxnard, Simi, or Maynard, IA. The fact that people do get harassed based on the color of the skin is a reality and we cannot sit back and accept it no matter who is doing the harassing. We can also not expect people to bail us out. We do not know whether this kid stole the car or not. Does the phrase, "Innocent until proven guilty" spark any neurons out there. They decided to pull him over for no reason. They did not know the car was stolen. They pulled him over solely to see what this young latino was up to at 3 in the morning. For someone to say that being out that late constitutes criminal activity is asinine. I feel that this kid could have been scared and fled on the basis of Simi PD's reputation. If the kid broke a traffic law, fine, pull him over. But if he did nothing, then he has a right to feel scared. We all have been on the road and have suffered anxiety of getting a ticket when an officer pulls behind us. But for some of us that have been profiled and harassed, that anxiety can be quickly be generated into fear.

Posted by sarah12379 on May 24, 2007 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Poor criminals:(

Posted by tiki on May 24, 2007 at 2:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

First I would like to say that my family and I have lived in Simi for 2 years before that We lived in Camarillo. I myself grew up in Moorpark and he grew up in Anaheim Hills. We have never been harassed. We also have never been pulled over in this town without a reason. It has not been an issue the way my husband looks. He is Mexican and has tattoos. It is not hard to miss his appearance. If anything the police have been very helpful when we actually needed them. SVPD is not the perfect police department. But when called up by me they have been very helpful and responded quickly. Even doing a follow up phone calls. One was when I called to complain about how a situation was handled between an officer and a teen. Another when we called them to my work for a possible break in. They at both times in person and on the phone were respectful and followed up quickly even though my last name is NOT Jones or Smith.

My second thing is that this guy almost crashed into the apartments I live in. We woke to hear the crash at 3am. If he would have come through the wall and hurt someone sleeping in their bed would race still be an issue? Would people still be defending the actions of someone who hurt people? Come on the guy steals a car and runs. Doesn't matter what race or gender you are don't steal cars. Don't break the law. Not that hard.

Posted by mtnbkr on May 24, 2007 at 3:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I bet the resident's of the apartment complex where the crook (I say crook because he was in a STOLEN car) were happy to learn about this incident. No doubt, the alert police officer who spotted the crook, decided to stop him, and ultimately arrested him prevented a string of car burglaries and other thefts from happening.

Posted by Simi_Valley93065 on May 25, 2007 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

DrDNA you also forgot to say: ANOTHERONE BITES THE DUST!! Racial profiling is a term used by CRIMINALS to get off! What police do is called criminal profiling. Which means if you look like a scumbag or driving in a scumbag car your going to get stopped! Stop blaiming the police and blame the criminals. Stop biting the hands that protect you!!

Posted by Simi_Valley93065 on May 26, 2007 at 1:44 p.m.

(This thread was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by simiprint on May 27, 2007 at 9:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I am astounded (but not really surprised) how these stories always become about race. A couple of weeks ago, a story about a Simi woman (with a Hispanic last name) given a 15 year old Honda race loud arguments about race and immigration. (I wrote in defense of the woman, outraged by the ignorant and racist remarks.) Now a story about someone being pulled over, failing to yield, running a stop sign, and crashing into a center median becomes about race.

Ridiculous.

The Simi PD is made up of humans, good and bad, and they do bring their preconceptions with them on their job. But they do a damned professional job whether you agree with their politics or not.

How can you condone and excuse the actions of some one in a stolen car, at 3 AM, running from the police? Of COURSE he was afraid of the police - he was in a stolen car!

The police weren't there because they were trolling for Mexicans to bust -they were there because of break-ins! And if they hadn't been there, you better believe the residents of the complex would have been (justifiably!) upset.

If everytime a person of color gets pulled over, it becomes an issue of race, we're going to be going to hell in a handbasket real quick. I got pulled over in TO because of a burned-out tail light, and I thought the cop went overboard, but that has nothing to do with race! (I'm white, as was the cop.) It's about not being beliigerent, or rude, or obnoxious when they ask you legitimate questions.

One last thing - if you are not willing to be a contruting member of your community, don't complain about how your community is run.

Posted by AnnaWhaat on May 27, 2007 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

RAdams, Staples is closed at that hour. I would have pulled you over if you were cruising the lot also. Would I stop in the barrios and ask for directions? YES, I have........... and Im a dark complected white woman ! Just FYI.......

DrDNA, I think Runutts meant something more like if everyone is in a store shopping and getting what they need, yet one person keeps stopping and looking around for cameras........they are SUSPICIOUS!!!!

Feisty, I believe aces was used due to the fact you can get blocked from the comment section of bad language?????

The funny thing here is when I read an article (headlines) I really do not notice if the name is mexican, italian or white. I read the article and see if I recognize the name and if not I keep reading. I would then have to go back to tell you what the last name was . Since I didnt know them it was irrevelent. Race is when you read an article and say hmmmm mexican name, let me see what this story is about this time ! Lets stop the race card. Believe me.......I know alot of white guys and girls that have been pulled over plenty of times !!!! over and over again. Yet not cited for anything. When the prejudice stops the world will be a better place ! Were all equal..........

Posted by royhalter on May 28, 2007 at 4:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

ANOTHER LOSER!!!

Posted by SVGirlyGirl on May 29, 2007 at 5:30 p.m.

(This thread was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by dmclewin on May 30, 2007 at 12:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What point most of you are missing is , this was a criminal. Who stoled a car . He didnt steal it and run from the cops out of fear . He stoled someonelses property for his selfish gain. He was appehended by the police who are trained to act on others actions . If someone of minority was chasing you with a 9mm , do you think the cops should look the other way so not to be racially profiling .A cop is trained to notice suspicios actions , like breaking into a car and jacking it at 3 am .

Posted by AnnaWhaat on May 31, 2007 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

dmclewin, Your absolutely right !

Posted by rodrigmr on June 17, 2007 at 7:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I agree with radams73 first comment FEAR of the police is right! when the PD has to have two or three cop cars to pull over one car! OF course the kids and community are scared! and yes they are harsh and abusive even with the homeless people that usually don't even have any strength. RACIAL PROFILERS --- THE SIMI PD ARE JUST LA REJECTS CAN"T MAKE THE COP SQUAD!