Several audience members at a Tuesday meeting of the Altadena Coalition of Neighborhood Associations meeting said they had witnessed Altadena deputies driving at high speeds or running stop signs even while not using their flashers or sirens.
The issue was raised during an open Q & A session with Altadena Sheriff's Station Capt. John Benedict.
Resident Ericka Lozano-Buhl and her husband Greg raised the issue when recounting a time they had gotten stuck in front of a deputy's car on a narrow street where other cars were parked, blocking them from easily driving. The deputy driving the car had clearly wanted to pass them, they said, and after they manged to pull over, the car sped off without its lights on.
Another speaker said that a deputy drove past him so fast that his car rattled, and another said that he frequently sees deputies speeding and running signs nearby the Altadena station.
Benedict said that sometimes deputies need to respond to an urgent call that has not yet been confirmed as an emergency and in those circumstances, could rush to the scene without their lights on.
He also said that if deputies are speeding or running through stop signs just on their way to and from the station and not to a specific call, that would be a problem.
We are curious, readers, if you have had any similar experiences - have you seen Sheriff's deputies driving fast or committing traffic violations? Please tell us about your experiences in the comments section and vote in the poll below.
The driver was not speeding and the B&W didn't have lights on, but naturally I wondered if the had commited an infraction. Must not have, because when the B&W finally passed him, it just sped off. I gotta tell you, I would have pulled over in that situation, but I would also have been frightened at the intimidation the danger posed by the B&W.