Marin's social justice activists raised the alarm this week over San Rafael's most recent drunken-driving checkpoint, saying the Canal area dragnet smacked of racial profiling. The June 13 checkpoint at East Francisco Boulevard and Grand Avenue was one of two operations that evening that netted a total 47 drivers. Of those arrested, 39 were picked up for driving without a license. Police impounded 44 vehicles. Four drivers were arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. The checkpoint was held from 6 to 11 p.m. on Grand Avenue. There officers arrested 34 unlicensed drivers and two for suspected drunken driving. Later that night, the checkpoint was moved to Irwin Street between Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue until 1:30 a.m. June 14. Five people were arrested for driving without a license and two were arrested for suspicion of drunken driving, police said.
On Monday, about a dozen activists appeared before the San Rafael City Council requesting that the council address the issue. Most who spoke said they thought the Canal's day laborers and immigrants - people who are known to be unlicensed - were unfairly targeted. Mayor Al Boro asked the city attorney and police chief to prepare a report for the next meeting, at which time the council would consider whether a public hearing should be held. Police select checkpoint sites based on factors such as officer and motorist safety, traffic flow and statistics on previous hit-and-run incidents, accidents, drunken driving arrests and other traffic-related issues, San Rafael police Capt. Jeff Franzini said. Because East Francisco and Grand has less traffic in the late evening hours, the department shifted the checkpoint to Irwin Street later that night, he said. Emily Sykes, chairwoman of the Social Justice Center of Marin, said her group prepared a wish list for the police department.
She said they hoped the police would stop seizing cars when arrests were made and, "as a sign of solidarity and good faith with the community," cease applying for public funds that obligate the department to host checkpoints. Checkpoints, which cost about $8,000 to $10,000, are paid for through grants from the state Office of Traffic Safety. Many said they thought the Grand Avenue site was unfair. "I'd like the city to stop putting checkpoints at the gateways to the Canal," said Jim Geraghty, co-chairman of the Marin Immigrant Rights Coalition and a Canal resident. Most people living in the Canal are "denied chance of acquiring licenses in the first place," said Norman Carlin, board member of the Marin Social Justice Center. "They are people seeking work and working hard to feed their families," he said.
Laurie Schryver, also on the Marin Social Justice Center board, said she went through the checkpoint that night.
"My eyes were not looked at," she said. "They did not ask for a license."
Alan Barnett, a member of the Marin Peace and Justice Coalition, said Marin was one of only eight counties in California that voted against Proposition 187, a 1994 ballot initiative aimed at denying public benefits to illegal immigrants.
"We have a tradition," he said. "I think it's very important that we continue that tradition - that we continue to work together and we do dialogue with one another on how to solve the problems of racism and immigration in our community."
San Rafael police Chief Matt Odetto said he welcomed it.
"This is an opportunity for them to voice their views and ask questions of the process and we'll happily do that," he said.
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