To clamp down on San Francisco's prevalent sideshow problem, Mayor London N. Breed, alongside Supervisor Matt Dorsey, proposed a new legislation to deter illegal activity. The announcement was made at SFPD Headquarters with regional law enforcement leaders who shared their strategies for curbing such events. As referenced by the City and County of San Francisco, the new regulations would ramp up criminal penalties for participants and those who promote sideshows, assemble for them and obstruct law enforcement in trying to manage these affairs.
"Sideshows are dangerous, disruptive and illegal, and our law enforcement agencies must not only take action here in San Francisco but coordinate across the Bay Area to prevent and disrupt them", Mayor Breed asserted, as per the City and County of San Francisco, acknowledging the need for greater regional cooperation. Meanwhile, the probability of shutting down sideshows before they begin has been raised with law enforcement planning to use drone technology and license plate readers, aiming efforts to corral participants and obstruct their activities.
The penalties in the proposal include criminalizing the promotion of sideshows, assembling for such events, and interfering with police actions. Additionally, Mayor Breed and Supervisor Dorsey are backing an extension on how long a vehicle can be held post-seizure in sideshow-related incidents, especially if charges are being pursued, even having vehicles permanently confiscated upon conviction. Strikingly, these crimes will all be considered misdemeanors, as this is the maximum penalty state law currently permits.
As the city struggles with the challenge of sideshows, District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey emphasized their hazard, saying, "Sideshows are reckless and endanger pedestrians, local businesses, and participants themselves", according to the City and County of San Francisco. SFPD has been proactive, effectively seizing 67 vehicles related to these events in 2024. The Chief of the San Francisco Police Department, Bill Scott, expressed his gratitude towards Mayor Breed and Supervisor Dorsey for boosting officers' authority to impose the law, grateful for officers risking their safety in these volatile situations.
