The top cop at the San Francsico Police Department Park Station is known by many as the guy behind last year's infamous Wiggle crackdown on cyclists, a traffic enforcement initiative that shrank to a two-day affair following vocal outrage from cyclists and others concerned about such things. But at a community meeting this week, Sanford says that though his officers' traffic enforcement sights are currently set on drivers, that could soon change.
Though there were rumors late last year that the crackdown was back on, it appears to be far more desultory that August 2015's event. In September of 2016, a total of nine cyclists were cited by Park Station officers, Sanford told a sparse crowd at Park Station's monthly community meeting, Hoodline reports. In contrast to the Wiggle enforcement days, this time police were "targeting areas where motorists are known to behave badly. In all, 26 drivers were cited for running red lights, and 390 drivers received tickets for blowing through stop signs."
In addition, reports Hoodline, 47 drivers were cited for crosswalk violations, 101 for speeding, and 97 received citations for cell phone use.
All that said, Sanford says that he's still worried about the scofflaw cyclists that pedal through his district. "The way many of the cyclists behave is very dangerous and very reckless to their own well-being," Sanford said.
According to Sanford, he's stood in areas frequented by cyclists "even with a captain's hat on" but the riders "are going so fast, they haven't even seen me."
It's unclear how Sanford confirmed that the bike riders saw him or not, as it seems difficult to determine exactly what another person sees without asking them. But Sanford seems certain that the cyclists missed him, saying "If you can't see me on the corner, that tells me you don't have a full view of what's going on," warning ominously that officers "will be returning" the these bike routes, presumably armed with ticket books in addition to their hats.
Previously: Under Pressure From Cyclists, Police Now Say Wiggle Crackdown Was Just A Two-Day Thing