Why doesn’t Santa Ana turn Easter Cruising into our L.B. Grand Prix?

Once again the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) is mobilizing dozens of police officers to stop the Easter Cruisers in Santa Ana today.

I found a video on YouTube that chronicled what went on in 2010.  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…just as the City of Long Beach makes a fortune off their annual Grand Prix.

Check out what the Grand Prix looks like:

Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.
Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

View Comments

  • I think that the correctful way of handling Easter Sunday cruising is to allow it and regulate all city ordinances except loud music. :)

  • I agree with Luis & Cruz. Cruising is a victimless crime and should be encouraged as a way to keep our young Hispanic teenagers out of gangs. Why not honor our car clubs and allow your young people to express themselves.

  • That tells you that we have very low level council.

    I have disused this with Benavides and he believes that there would be a shoot-out if it would be allowed.

    There is nothing you can do with Pulido.

  • Benavides hes a good guy with strong ideas , I was trying to put together a race track in his ward but he let me down and preferred to have gangs run the area instead of putting together a remote control track you know something different in this city..

  • This is Walters/Pulido failure in all aspect of what city can do to race other revenue beside raising water fee.

    I have proposed zillions of ideas and Pulido will always lough like a retard. (Non entrepreneurial Mexican)

  • The White man has been treating us like this for many, many, many years. First the Spanish tried to keep us from getting the horse and now they want our cars! No Se Puude! Cruising is a right.

  • The city of San Bernardino has a yearly cruise and it's working well for them, bring in revenue for that city "WAKE UP SANTA ANA" seems like this is what your resident are asking for.

    • What the auto clubs need to do is start a petition on change.org and have it sent to the SA City Council. The auto clubs and their friends and families make up THOUSANDS of local voters. That is power. The Council needs to know just how many of them there are. Game on!

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