Santa Ana could make money off Easter Cruising instead of losing thousands

I was pretty upset when I found out that the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) assigned 125 cops to go after the Easter Cruisers this past weekend. 

I found a video on YouTube that chronicled what went on this Sunday.  I translated the text on that site below:

In the middle of Easter Sunday, the Police Department Santa Ana, was conducting traffic control in different areas of the city.

In a move befitting a police state, the Police Department in conjunction with police departments in neighboring cities like Costa Mesa, Long Beach and Westminster, patrolled on Sunday night the main avenues of the city with dozens of motorcycles patrols of anti-gang unit, regular patrols and a unit of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), in an attempt to stop an annoying tradition when visitors wander through the streets of the city according to a report of a newspaper known Orange County.

The operation that was in effect from 6:00 pm Sunday to 3:00 am on Monday, not concentrated on a checkpoint set up but in a perimeter of about about 4.5 miles from the center of the city, which was cordoned off and even locked security fences, trapping drivers in an impasse. The inhabitants of this area of working class, mainly migrants, were most affected in terms of lost vehicles.

The real shame is that the City of Santa Ana could make a mint instead by treating Easter Cruising the way Long Beach handles their Annual Grand Prix.  Set up grandstands and charge folks to see the Cruising!  And charge each Cruiser a permit fee.  The permits would include a contract regarding the behavior of the Cruisers.  Mission accomplished!  And the City’s coffers would fill right up…

Check out what the Grand Prix looks like: