OFF THE WIRE
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/01/va-bill-advances-ban-motorcyclesonly-checkpoints Va. bill advances to ban motorcycles-only checkpoints
By Bill Sizemore The Virginian-Pilot © January 26, 2012 RICHMOND
Motorcycle riders sometimes draw special attention from the law enforcement community, and they’re fighting back.
Last spring, for instance, in connection with the annual Virginia Beach Bike Classic, city police set up a motorcycles-only checkpoint that resulted in some riders being ticketed for such offenses as wearing improper helmets, according to Matt Danielson, counsel to the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists.
The police dispute Danielson’s account of the roadblock.
Arlington County police conducted a similar operation last year targeting the annual Rolling Thunder ride to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, Danielson said.
It may not happen again.
Legislation moving through the Virginia House of Delegates at the bikers’ behest would make motorcycles-only checkpoints illegal. The measure, HB187, submitted by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, was approved unanimously Wednesday morning by a House subcommittee.
“We’re not opposed to checkpoints. They’re a useful public safety tool,” Danielson said. “We just don’t want to be singled out.”
Officer Jimmy Barnes, a Virginia Beach police spokesman, denied that motorcyclists were singled out during last year’s rally.
“We did have a checkpoint, but every car was stopped, not just motorcycles,” he said. “We don’t do that. That’s not our practice, and we will never do that.”
He was unable to provide a breakdown of how many tickets were issued to motorcyclists and car drivers.
