A TikToker took it upon himself to expose what the LAPD in California is allegedly doing: intentionally issuing tickets to people, going so far as to stage situations to make it appear as though drivers are breaking the law. A video posted on TikTok detailed the trick. “So you all gotta check this out on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills,” a voice called out from behind the camera.
“The cops are hiding behind the parking lots and hiring people to illegally walk across the street,” he explained, saying that anyone who drives past these staged pedestrians ends up getting a ticket. He then panned his camera to show two men, one in black and one in white, walking across the street. The moment they crossed, a cop motorcycle was seen dashing into traffic chasing after a vehicle. As he captured the scene, including officers preparing to stop drivers, he called the whole setup crazy.
The comments section responded with a mix of outrage and criticism. “It’s no longer ‘serve and protect,’ it’s become ‘harass and collect,’” someone wrote. Another commenter said,
“Since Trump took office.. It seems like laws are only applying/enforced to citizens.” A user insinuated there was a quota to meet: “Entrapment and jaywalking…. Cops must not be hitting their quotas.” Someone called out the strategy in detail, writing:
“Pedestrians have the right of way at an intersection that isn’t controlled by a light. The problem with what these cops are doing is finding the least noticeable intersection, where it just looks like someone is randomly jumping into the street, to fool good and bad drivers alike into continuing to drive so they can ticket them and increase the city’s revenue. They’re taxing the poor.”
Another pointed out the LAPD’s inconsistency, adding, “They won’t arrest shoplifters or drug dealers in California, but they’ll manufacture traffic violations in a non-crosswalk area. Sounds about how you’d expect California to direct its energy.” Supporting the drivers, someone penned, “Drivers aren’t breaking laws here. They’re getting ambushed by staged actors stepping into traffic on cue. People are losing hundreds of dollars for something they didn’t actually do.”
However, not everyone disagreed with the police tactic. Some defended it. A netizen noted, “Good, maybe people will learn to stop for pedestrians.” Another person wrote joyfully,
“I‘m kind of here for it… they’re forcing pedestrian safety.. There could be kids, the elderly, or the disabled who have trouble crossing that busy street. The reason why they’re paying so much attention to it.. they’re making it safer; drivers should stop rushing.” Another TikToker asked, “So y’all are mad that drivers are being held accountable for reckless driving?”
Meanwhile, in a surprising twist, a crosswalk meant to improve safety ended up costing a man his freedom. According to The Nerd Stash, a California man, instead of letting a crosswalk remain a hazard, painted the crosswalk himself for safety reasons. But when the mayor “opposed” his actions, the man was cited and arrested shortly after giving the crosswalk a new makeover.
