PSA: VPD Handing Out VIs Like Candy

[SumAznGuy]

Originally Posted by yourself

Dispute it. From personal experience, the traffic court judge at robson square is very defendant friendly, and easy to reason with.

There is more than 1 judge at traffic court. It really depends on who you are scheduled with.

[yourself]

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy

There is more than 1 judge at traffic court. It really depends on who you are scheduled with.

If you are in 201, which is the most common for traffic, then this is the judge I am referring too. Though in this case, I feel as though he has a strong enough case to fight even if the judge was a prick.

[SumAznGuy]

Originally Posted by yourself

If you are in 201, which is the most common for traffic, then this is the judge I am referring too. Though in this case, I feel as though he has a strong enough case to fight even if the judge was a prick.

Again, there are more than one and they rotate court rooms based. So it also depends on how is working that day in room 201.

I would say, OP would have to ask for disclosure and see what the officer put down. In what he described, it would sound like he would have a strong case.

[E90M3]

Originally Posted by Gerbs

So you can't touch the radio at all unless your parked?

Anything that isn't mounted/built into the dash you can't touch.

[twitchyzero]

having bluetooth or android auto isn't an automatic ruling in your favour

you could easily be checking snapchat or something

[coupelove]

Originally Posted by Traum

Now I'm gonna sound spiteful and/or petty, but I'm gonna say it anyway.

In addition to disputing the ticket, I'd also recommend you to file a complaint on the officer. In the complaint letter, clearly indicate what you were doing, the year, brand, model, and trim of your vehicle, and specifically describe how your car already has bluetooth so it is unnecessary for you to pull out your phone.

When you are innocent, you totally want to exercise your rights and use the mechanisms available to point out the officer's wrong doing. The only thing you'll lose is a bit of time. An individual complaint won't amount to much of anything, but collectively, this is how we keep the police force in check from abusing the authority they've been bestowed with.

Good luck!

I used to think this was a good way to create change, however I doubt any complaint thats not directly related to criminal conduct will yeild any result other then a PDF on some government server. Im guessing OPCC is comprised of mostly retired police, these are really good jobs funded by the government so I would expect there framework skew heavily and these are cush safe careers with good hours. If you look at there recent reports, it shows less than 10% of all complaints even had merits for an investigation, most complaints are deemed monitor.
Expect monitor complaints to stack up until an officer does something that warrants criminal charges, at that point it may be of meaning. I also believe they at one time even bragged about only seeing misconduct in 1% of casis, however I cant confrim this right now.

I have looked into this topic heavily and have concluded that no government body has any direct power over police departmants. Any change to police policy will come directly from the cheif themselves, and those who can fire them. The mayor or premiere can probably make change happen and there is many occurances of "liberal" policing that exist, so perhaps a laissaz fare attitude towards car modifiers is possible. Think about how VPD was super cool with weed forever, and never even made any criminal charges about weed even though they could have daily. They dont care about prostition either, theres 100 jerk shops operating in Vancouver, as they know there are bigger criminal fish to fry. Then take a guess how many millions of dollars of crack, heroin, and fentanyl are sold every week in the downtown east side.. it is my opinion that traffic police should not worry about much, other then distracted, impaired or agressive driving which is still a leading cause of death in BC.

How to make change? Not sure its possible in all honesty.

[E90M3]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

having bluetooth or android auto isn't an automatic ruling in your favour

you could easily be checking snapchat or something

Not sure about Android Auto, but Apple CarPlay doesn't let you use apps like Snapchat at all.

[BaoTurbo]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

having bluetooth or android auto isn't an automatic ruling in your favour

you could easily be checking snapchat or something

No snapchat in Android auto or Carplay lol

[twitchyzero]

that's my point, saying you have bluetooth/android auto etc. isn't a get out of jail card because you could still be on the phone for something that's not available built into your car

[JD¹³]

Originally Posted by Gh0st

Hey I know this might not be the right thread but yesterday I was removing my wallet from my butt pocket while at a left turn light and a cop standing at a nearby gas station walked over and knocked on my window and told me to pull over.

This is an easy win in traffic court. I had the same bullshit ticket issued while I was looking through my wallet at a stop light (to ensure I had my RPAL) and I was pulled over 100m later by IRSU posted down the road saying an officer at the intersection saw me with a phone in my hand. I specifically asked where the officer was standing and recorded the answer.

First, dispute the ticket. When you get a court date with all the info mail the officer / detachment with an evidence disclosure request. Sounds like at best you'll get a shitty hand written note like I did saying to the effect of "white Dodge Ram using electronic device". No photos, no description of the phone, nothing. In other words no evidence other than his word. Keep your 'verbatim' copy of the exchange and do not lose it.

In your case he has already admitted to not seeing you on your phone and has issued you a COMPLETELY SPECULATIVE INFRACTION. After my officer tried to tell the judge he saw me using my phone (I took my wallet from my centre console, looked through it for 5 seconds, put it back) I told the judge I'm not calling the officer a liar, simply that he is mistaken. I explained what I was doing with my wallet. I then asked the officer who was standing at the intersection (both he and the issuer had to show up) if he was in fact standing at position X, which he confirmed. I then calmly proved the officer was a liar by telling the judge the officer was standing in front of me to the right as I was the third vehicle from the intersection and that it was physically impossible for him to see through the front of my vehicle/dash, let alone see in to my lap as my 3" lifted offroad edition truck brings the bottom of my passenger windows up to about 5'7" off the ground. I said the officer has zero evidence of this infraction and issued me a completely speculative ticket simply because I was looking down momentarily.

Judge tossed it without hearing another word from the officer. If yours comes back with him simply saying he saw it: I would tell the judge that you've provided a logical explanation for what the officer saw, that the officer admitted to not actually seeing an electronic device in your hand at the time, that at the distance he was it was unlikely he could tell what was in your hand anyway, and that he has no actual evidence of the infraction whatsoever.

[320icar]

Hey.... maybe this is why VPD is handing out vi’s. So all these people who dispute every single ticket (well deserved or not) can’t do that anymore. Think of how much future tax payer money Cain and his boys has saved us. Seriously. Don’t have to pay court cost, judges, officer overtime etc.

[SkunkWorks]

Originally Posted by 320icar

Hey.... maybe this is why VPD is handing out vi’s. So all these people who dispute every single ticket (well deserved or not) can’t do that anymore. Think of how much future tax payer money Cain and his boys has saved us. Seriously. Don’t have to pay court cost, judges, officer overtime etc.

How very noble of them.

I guess they must've calculated that a sports car is more expensive and damaging than the damage and costs that a distracted driver or red light runner or c-Lai running summer tires in the snow causes in terms of insurance repair costs, healthcare costs for emergency care, and damage to property when they inevitably crash.

[yray]

HEY CAIN,

i DARE YOU TO FUCKING VI EVERY CAR ON SUNDAY NIGHT DRIVING WITH SUMMERS IN THE SNOW.

[i-vtecyo]

What is snow? I don't believe the weather forecasts here in b.c because they are always wrong. Prob just gonna be -7 at night with clear skies, calling it.

[Doubl3_H]

How bout my neighbor driving around with expired insurance since he has no money to renew insurance and pay for his rent.

Where's Cain to get this scum off the street?

[Gh0stRider]

Originally Posted by Doubl3_H

How bout my neighbor driving around with expired insurance since he has no money to renew insurance and pay for his rent.

Where's Cain to get this scum off the street?

If he parks it on the street, call bylaws

[westopher]

Originally Posted by Doubl3_H

How bout my neighbor driving around with expired insurance since he has no money to renew insurance and pay for his rent.

Where's Cain to get this scum off the street?

Is his car lowered though?

[RevYouUp]

Was driving behind a VPD cruiser that had absolutely no rear lights on in the rain last night. Thank god I wasn't in front of them .

[E90M3]

Originally Posted by RevYouUp

Was driving behind a VPD cruiser that had absolutely no rear lights on in the rain last night. Thank god I wasn't in front of them .

I see that quite a bit with RCMP in my area. I usually just let them know with a single flash or get next to them. Most of them understand from the first flash right way. Ballsy to flash them with your high beams but if it works, it works.

[JSALES]

Originally Posted by RevYouUp

Was driving behind a VPD cruiser that had absolutely no rear lights on in the rain last night. Thank god I wasn't in front of them .

I saw the same thing last night driving down SW Marine around 2 am, black undercover Dodge Charger

[yourself]

Its because these new cars have bright gauges that are constantly lit combined with DRLs.
So stupid. With old crown vics, the gauges would be off if the headlights were off,the way it should be.

[RevYouUp]

Originally Posted by yourself

Its because these new cars have bright gauges that are constantly lit combined with DRLs.
So stupid. With old crown vics, the gauges would be off if the headlights were off,the way it should be.

I just find it super ironic when they issue VIs for yellow DRLs when they don't even know how to turn on their lights.

[mikasaur]

Originally Posted by E90M3

I see that quite a bit with RCMP in my area. I usually just let them know with a single flash or get next to them. Most of them understand from the first flash right way. Ballsy to flash them with your high beams but if it works, it works.

Did you just call yourself ballsy?

[twitchyzero]

Originally Posted by JD¹³

(I took my wallet from my centre console, looked through it for 5 seconds, put it back) I told the judge I'm not calling the officer a liar, simply that he is mistaken. I explained what I was doing with my wallet.

maybe not an electronic device but i'm sure they can ding you for distracted driving for flipping through a wallet when you're in traffic (as they can ticket you for eating/having pets on your lap)

[MarkyMark]

Are cops having so much trouble finding things to ticket people for that flipping through a wallet at a red light is considered valid? Fuck me I can find a dozen people on my 20 minute drive home from work that are talking on their phone or forgot how to use their turn signals.

Keep justifying bullshit tickets though, cops can do no wrong.