December 23, 2010 The Southern California Immigration Coalition and the South Central Neighborhood Council will denounce the increasing wave of LAPD and Sherriff’s “Sobriety” Checkpoints which continue to be strategically used to legally steal thousands of cars from undocumented immigrants. Stealing cars from Immigrants has become a multimillion dollar industry that is now being used to alleviate the city’s budget deficit. In 2009, the state of California shamefully profited $40 million from these checkpoints. This is being done at the expense of the undocumented community and is particularly shameful during this holiday season.

Under the pretext of looking for drunk drivers, the LAPD and Sherriff’s Departments are specifically racially profiling Latinos by strategically placing “Sobriety” checkpoints in predominantly Latino communities. These include “Sobriety” checkpoints on Tuesday mornings in strictly residential neighborhoods. These are obviously traps to catch unlicensed drivers. Both of those departments acknowledge that the GREAT majority of the cars impounded are NOT from drunk drivers but from unlicensed drivers; most of whom are undocumented.

Because Mayor Villaraigosa has publicly stated his opposition to the racial profiling that is taking place in Arizona, we call on him and the City Council to end this same type of racial profiling and attacks on immigrants here in Los Angeles. Elected representatives of the South Central Neighborhood Council will present a resolution (attached) which they are spreading to other Neighborhood Councils and eventually to the LA City Council that calls for the end to the confiscation of vehicles at Sobriety Checkpoints for drivers who are simply unlicensed.

The central objectives will be:
1) To call for an IMMEDIATE halt to the impounding of vehicles at sobriety checkpoints for people who are NOT under the influence
2) To make a call for our communities to defend themselves from the Police and Sherriff’s Departments by resisting the Checkpoints
3) To publicly present the resolution that was approved by the South Central Neighborhood Council that calls for an end to the confiscation of cars of unlicensed drivers and the campaign to bring this to the City Council.

Organizers will be available for interviews

What: Community organizations to denounce Villaraigosa, the LAPD and the Sherriff Department for stealing cars from Immigrants, especially during Christmas

Where: LA City Hall, 200 North Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

When: Thursday, December 23, 2010
Time: 4:30 P.M

Approved by a Unanimous vote on Tuesday, December 21, 2010

RESOLUTION OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, CALLING FOR AN END TO CAR CONFISCATIONS AT SOBRIETY CHECK POINTS AND AN ADPOTION OF THE CITY OF OAKLAND POLICY REGARDING THE IMPOUNDING OF CARS OF UNLICENSED DRIVERS IN LOS ANGELES CITY

THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL AREA HEREBY FINDS, DETERMINES AND RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:

WHEREAS, the California Vehicle Code requires that all vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers be impounded, and may not be released from impound for thirty days except under certain designated circumstances; and

WHEREAS, among the reasons vehicles may be released prior to the end of the thirty days period are “mitigating circumstances” and,

WHEREAS, those persons who’s vehicles are impounded are entitled to a prompt and fair hearing to attempt to establish the mitigating circumstances which should entitle them to an early release of their vehicle; and

WHEREAS, the policies and laws of the State of California make it difficult or impossible for undocumented persons to obtain drivers licenses; and

WHEREAS, many unlicensed persons are not licensed through no fault of their own and suffer serious financial and familial hardships when their vehicles are impounded; and

WHEREAS, the sobriety checkpoints established by the City of Los Angeles consistently impound vehicles from drivers who are not intoxicated and do not have a blood alcohol level of .04% in accordance with City of Los Angeles; and

WHEREAS, the constant impounding of vehicles through sobriety checkpoints disproportionately targets low income communities such as the South Central area; and

WHEREAS, the largest Spanish newspaper in the United States, La Opinion, has reported about the disproportionate use of checkpoints in South Central Los Angeles; and

WHEREAS, La Opinion reported a $40 million dollar revenue generated by these checkpoints in California in 2009; and

WHEREAS, the impounding of vehicles at sobriety checkpoints of drivers with a legal blood alcohol level imposes undue stress, aggravation and financial hardship to the community of South Central; and

WHEREAS, the City of Oakland has adopted a policy of allowing officers to only tow a vehicle of an unlicensed driver after an opportunity has been granted to allow the unlicensed driver to relinquish the vehicle to a licensed driver already on scene or secure his or her vehicle on scene after a waiver has been signed; and

WHEREAS, the South Central Neighborhood Council wishes to reduce the hardship attendant upon unlicensed drivers who are unlicensed through no fault of their own, to the maximum extent consistent with state law.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT;

The South Central Neighborhood Council opposes the confiscation of cars by the Los Angeles Police Department at sobriety checkpoints and other checkpoints of unlicensed drivers for reasons other than an a blood alcohol level of .04% and calls on the Los Angeles City Council to prevent the Los Angeles Police Department from confiscating vehicles of unlicensed drivers who do not have a blood alcohol level higher than the legal limit of 0 .04%. In addition, the South Central Neighborhood Council also opposes the confiscation of cars of unlicensed drivers at traffic stops. This resolution calls on the Los Angeles City Council to adopt the Oakland City Policy of car confiscations which allows police to only tow a vehicle of an unlicensed driver after an opportunity has been granted to allow the unlicensed driver to relinquish the vehicle to a licensed driver already on scene or secure his or her vehicle on scene after a waiver has been signed.

"...stealing cars from Immigrants..."

Golly, if you know of such crimes taking place, don't you think you should call the cops? Or maybe the FBI?

Right. You're full of shit. Taking illegal Mexicans off of our streets is something that *legal* citizens should applaud and approve of. Claiming that seizing illegal criminals' vehicles is "stealing" is idiot rhetoric.

and did I mention the racist and reactionary to say nothing of mindless spams of impotent rage?
Thanks Fred; we can always count on you to rack up points for reporting your provincial, ignorant and simple ass.
Never the one to provide solutions but always there to provide rabid and uninformed froth.

The sobriety checkpoints are partly funded by the State, but revenues collected from the cards is collected by the local government.

So that creates motivation to seize vehicles as a way to fill the local coffers.