Unpermitted American Taxi Driver Handcuffed; Illegal Vendors Unmolested

[Ayatollahgondola]

This is what corruptions brings.

A code enforcement officer arranged a sting for unpermitted taxi drivers in Sacramento city. They called a taxi based in a neighboring city, (an American), and requested he pick them up at a restaurant, just giving the address, not the city. The taxi owner arrives, picks up two code enforcement officers and starts to drive them to their destination. In a ruse, the code officers feign a forgotten item, and ask to return to the pick-up location. There, two Sac City Police detain the taxi driver for not having a city permit to operate. When I say detain, I mean in handcuffs. Then they issue the American taxi driver a penaly. Not a summons; Not a notice to appear, not a citation;...a penalty for two thousand dollars. As a side note, there is no trial. You get an appeal, where you are appealing a verdict issued without a trial. And the verdict is issued by someone who has a vested interest in the outcome. They work for the city.
But...here is where the original outrage is. 6 taxi cabs were reported to have no permits. out of the 6, only 2 responded to the request (might even be entrapment). the sting required 2 cops and two code enforcement officers. In contrast, thirty illegal vendors were visible at the last mexican event only a few blocks from city hall. In addition, I have made requests that the illegal vendors be cited at numerous events over the past several years. None were cited, and my requests were not even reported.
Black American unpermitted taxi driver = 2 thousand dollar penalty, and handcuffs
Latino illegal unpermitted vendors by the scores = no charge

Based on complaints received about tax drivers working in the City without a
permit, and undercover "decoy sweep" was conducted. On July 29, 2011, two
Sacramento Police Officers, Code Manager Bob Rose, Senior Officer Julia Mason and I
were involved in this late night operation. We had a total of six possible illegal Taxi Cabs
that we were investigating on this night. Officer Mason called Don's Taxi Service at
approximately 10:30 p.m. A male employee answered the phone and quoted Officer
Mason $40.00 to $50.00 for a ride from Northgate Blvd to Thunder Valley Casino. When
the Don's Taxi Cab Service arrived at the restaurant, it was observed by the two
Sacramento Police Officers and I. I could clearly see that the Taxi Cab Vehicle did not
have the required Taxi Vehicle permits posted in the front driver's window. Ms. Foy was
the Taxi Cab driver. At this time, Officers Mason and Code Manager Rose got into the
vehicle and proceeded onto the freeway. Once on the Freeway, Code Manager Rose
advised that he had left his Visa at the restaurant and asked to return. Upon arrival back
at the restaurant, both Officer Mason and Code Manager Rose exited the vehicle. At
this time, the two Sacramento Police Officers in an un-marked Sacramento Police
vehicle pulled up behind the parked Taxi and put on their strobe lights. The Sacramento
Police Officer's identified themselves and removed the driver Ms. Foy from the driver's
side ofthe vehicle and placed her in handcuffs as the violations are misdemeanors.
After a back ground check, the officers advised that I could issue the Civil Administrative
Penalty in this case.