Scooter riders cry Police harassment!
In a recent investigation conducted by Virgin Islands News Online, some scooter riders revealed that police officers unfairly harass them when seen on the road and have labeled them to be obstructers of the road laws. The riders this news agency spoke with all shared the same sentiments in saying it is unfair and should stop.
At Pooky's Mechanics in Lower Estate, a popular spot for scooter riders, a group of scooter riders told this news site that police officers in the VI label persons on scooters, they claimed that the officers pull over scooter riders based on their looks.
"If you look too young they will pull you over, because they think your papers aren’t straight," said one rider who wished to remain anonymous he said to protect himself. The whole group of scooter riders nodded in agreement.
They stated that there are some Police officers who knows that nothing is wrong and will not stop you, but there are the others who harass and target persons specifically on scooters.
The group of young riders said they do not avoid the police, because they want to embarrass them, knowing that their papers are straight.
Scooter driver Phil and Kadeem Blackmoore, both expressed similar concerns during their individual interviews.
They told this news site that the Police do harass scooter riders, but in their opinion, it is because other scooter drivers living in the Virgin Islands “mess it up” for the innocent ones by breaking the traffic and road laws and their reckless driving.
"The police target people on scooters more than those driving cars and jeeps etc, because they think that it is us who cause the problems on the street and in traffic, they think we are big hazards on the road," said Phil.
After discussing with Phil what other scooter riders said, he stated that he agrees that the Police target people on scooters based on looks, assuming that “you’re a certain kind of person and demands for you to be stopped and searched, which is embarrassing. If I had a chance to speak my mind to an officer I would say they need to stop discriminating because we are doing nothing wrong."
Blackmoore said the officers need to stop judging them and realize it’s just the same as being in a four-wheeled vehicle, “we are just trying to get from point A to point B.”
As the investigation expanded, this publication interviewed another rider who also wished to remain anonymous and he did not put the blame on the Police but placed it on drivers of motor vehicles.
He stated that the Police are doing their jobs to keep the road 'in check', "but the ones who have no respect for scooter drivers are the people in the cars and jeeps etc". He said they drive purposely close to scooters to send them off the road, and when a scooter is trying to overtake them they would speed up, "and these are some of the many things they do."
Avery Williams, a much older scooter rider, said that some of the young people, who are in their teens up to 21, spoil it for everybody else. “They go around stealing scooters, then they are driving without permits and without licenses.”
"Some don’t have their scooters licensed or wear helmets or sometimes they don’t even have a personal license, and because of this, is why the Police target scooter riders, they also target scooter drivers because of reckless driving displayed by some."
Head of the Police Traffic Unit, Ariel Cameron, in response to the results of the investigation, stated that there are persons in the VI riding scooters without having a permit or license and that is why the majority of them are stopped to be checked.
According to the Police Traffic Chief, there are some people on the island, who do not adhere to the rules and regulations of the road and made it clear that the Police does not target everyone. "We don’t target everybody but there are some who mess it up for the others."
"There are people who are riding in a safe and secure manner with all their documents and papers straight, but there are others who just don’t care and have no respect for the law", said Cameron.
He stated that according to the Road Traffic Act Section 47, which also governs scooter riders, any one out of compliance, the Police is obligated to stop and search.
The Road Traffic Act Section 47 reads; It shall be lawful for any police officer in uniform to stop any motor vehicle on a road with view to ascertaining whether such vehicle is being used in contravention of this Act or any regulations, and in the event that any such vehicle is being so used, such police officer may take the vehicle or cause it to be taken to any police station there to be further examined.
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