Is this really all the protection pedestrians and cyclists are afforded in Fullerton?
A Recent Incident I Witnessed in Downtown Fullerton by
Fullerton Resident Susan Levinson.
After hearing Fullerton resident Judith Kaluzny speak at the last City Council meeting about much needed awareness for pedestrians crossing our streets within the crosswalks I am reminded of a situation that I witnessed a few months ago.
While driving my car south on Harbor Blvd. just north of Chapman at approximately 10 in the morning I stopped at the crosswalk to allow a pedestrian to cross from Angelo & Vinci’s restaurant towards Big Slice Pizza. In the lane next to me was an on-duty Fullerton motorcycle policeman. The officer and I both watched as the woman began to cross in the crosswalk and then 2 cars heading north drove right through the crosswalk forcing the pedestrian to stop mid-stream & jump back to the curb. The policeman watched both cars drive right through the crosswalk, endangering the woman’s life. Yet, even though the officer was in the fast lane and could have easily and safely made a U-turn to pull one or both drivers over, he did not.
After the woman made it safely across the street the traffic resumed, and the officer and I pulled up next to each other at the stoplight. I rolled my window down & asked him why he didn’t pull over either of those drivers as the pedestrian had the right of way. His response to me was: “I don’t like that crosswalk”. I’ve told them it’s not in a good place”. I said, “But isn’t it against the law to drive through the crosswalk when the pedestrian is already there?” He replied, “Yes.” I said, “Then you should have cited both of the drivers.” He answered with a nod yes of his head and drove away as the light turned green.
It is not a police officer’s job to choose which crosswalks he or she likes or doesn’t like when it comes to enforcing the law. It is his or her job to protect and serve. Because our police department may not protect us as pedestrians we must be ever more vigilant about walking around our town.
Susan Levinson
#1 by The Good, The Bad and The FPD on February 20, 2015 - 6:12 pm
It is amazing to me how a traffic officer can ignore potentially deadly traffic violations because he doesn’t like that crosswalk. The arrogance of some in the FPD is second to none. I see very little if any improvement in the attitude of the FPD.
The way I see it, that is a problem that starts at the very top of the department.
#2 by City residents and the FPD is currently too busy fending off KT civil suit...wonder why? on February 23, 2015 - 4:37 pm
http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2012/fullerton-police-officer-says-chief-hughes-is-corrupt/
#3 by The FPD…Do they have any limits and do the citizens have any recourse? on February 25, 2015 - 2:16 pm
It is important to point out the following contradiction. While a woman is almost run over and the incident is ignored by our police, the FPD on the other hand has plenty of time, manpower, money and the will to do everything in their power to try to put people in jail for failure to disperse (I guess quick enough for our masters) in a public outdoor place. There is something terribly wrong in the city of Fullerton.