Many
motorcycle riders say they have been stopped, questioned, searched, or arrested
without legal reason
By
PoliceOne Staff
VANCOUVER,
Wash. — Washington State has passed a bill that prohibits police from singling
out bikers for stops without clear and “legitimate” reason.
The
law is modeled after a racial profiling law the state passed in 2002
Motorcycle
profiling is defined as when police single out motorcycle riders or those
dressed in typical “biker” gear. Many say they have been stopped,
questioned, searched, or arrested without legal reason.
One
piece of evidence shown by motorcycle enthusiasts in pushing the law was a video
that showed a state trooper crawling through bushes near the legislative
building in Olympia, Wash. and writing down motorcycle plate numbers during a
rally, according to the Seattle
Times.
A
motorcycle arrest video was posted to YouTube in 2008, and it shows a trooper
pulling over a biker and ordering him to take off his helmet, which the biker
refuses to do. The trooper then arrests the man.
Washington
State Patrol was forced to pay $90,000 for that arrest, as it was determined
that there is no “statutory basis” for removal of the helmet.
Here
is the full story from the Seattle
Times. It does not include the perspective of law enforcement, so please
offer any thoughts or opinions.
What
do you think of the law? Does an issue with motorcyclists exist, or is this a
solution to a non-existent problem?
