Baggy Pants Ban in Florida Sparks Controversy

[aGameOfThrones]

Maybe the fashion police should crack down on saggy trousers, but real law enforcement? A new ordinance by passed in a three-to-one vote by the city council of Cocoa, Florida prevents a "person in public view from wearing pants or skirts below the waistline that expose the undergarments or the skin…." The law will go into effect on January 1, 2013.

Although members of the city council say they passed the ban in order to increase civility in their "family oriented" town of 17,000, critics claim it's a mask for additional "stop and frisk" type activities by the police. "This is nothing more than a vehicle for further harassment of young people," Alberta Wilson, president of the Central Brevard Branch of the NAACP told FloridayToday.com. "I don't like the saggy pants anymore than you do, however, I respect people's Constitutional rights." Police Chief Mark Klayman acknowledged that the ordinance would provide greater opportunity to confront individuals on the street. "This would give the police officers the probable-cause stop," Klayman said. "This could also be a measure to allow us to get drugs and guns off the street just based on this stop.

The town tried to pass a similar ordinance in 2010, but backed down when constitutional court challenges were mounted against other municipalities, although some bans have been successfully passed. The first day a 2011 saggy trousers law went into effect in Fort Worth, Texas, 50 people were kicked off of the public bus system.

The saggy pants ban will be a three strike policy: violators will pay a fine of $25 for the first offense, $50 for the second, and $100 for every additional offense thereafter. It will be up to the police officer to determine the fine.

Tyler Furbish, the lone dissenter on the city council, pointed out that in an era of budget cuts, the new law would burden a police department that was already stretched thin. "I think it is going to put a strain on our law enforcement people who have better things to enforce," Furbish argued to the council. "I think we have a risk of too much regulation. What do we do next, outlaw blue houses?"

http://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/baggy-pants-ban-florida-sparks-controversy-161500571.html

[ronpaulfollower999]

They've had a law like this in Riviera Beach, Fl for a few years now, too.

[Keith and stuff]

I don't understand why beach communities are doing this. Are people offended that some people are wearing too much clothes?

[Origanalist]

I find myself agreeing with the NAACP, strange times indeed.


Police Chief Mark Klayman acknowledged that the ordinance would provide greater opportunity to confront individuals on the street. "This would give the police officers the probable-cause stop," Klayman said. "This could also be a measure to allow us to get drugs and guns off the street just based on this stop.


This shit is never ending, these bastards don't need any more reasons. They do whatever they want to most of the time anyway.

[dannno]

I don't understand why beach communities are doing this. Are people offended that some people are wearing too much clothes?

No, Keith, some people are just racist against blacks.

Anything black people come up with, they will try to ban it.

[BlackTerrel]

No, Keith, some people are just racist against blacks.

Anything black people come up with, they will try to ban it.

A lot of people try to ignore this... but you pretty much nailed it.

[Antischism]

Holy shit, is this for real?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but WOW. That is all kinds of fucked up. Now they're dictating how large our clothing can and can't be in public spaces? This is clearly just another way to stop and frisk minorities in the hopes of finding drugs and imprisoning them with their inane drug laws.

[VIDEODROME]

I feel like freedom of speech should come into play to ridicule this behavior as much as possible.

They let their butt hangout more then a plumber.

[AGRP]

Police Chief Mark Klayman acknowledged that the ordinance would provide greater opportunity to confront individuals on the street. "This would give the police officers the probable-cause stop," Klayman said. "This could also be a measure to allow us to get drugs and guns off the street just based on this stop.

:rolleyes:

[kathy88]

Thought this might be apropos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZGVC2TdFO0&feature=related

Can't get the sucka to embed.

[coastie]

Police Chief Mark Klayman acknowledged that the ordinance would provide greater opportunity to confront individuals on the street. "This would give the police officers the probable-cause stop," Klayman said. "This could also be a measure to allow us to get drugs and guns off the street just based on this stop.


Probable cause, of what? Do these idiots in LE have any idea what that term even means nowadays?

In other news, I heard the Attorney General Pam Bondi recently proclaimed that police can articulate probable cause of crime on LICENSED CCW holders now. Fuck me, why do I have to be so damn broke and can't move!?!?!?!?!?!

[aGameOfThrones]

Probable cause, of what? Do these idiots in LE have any idea what that term even means nowadays?

In other news, I heard the Attorney General Pam Bondi recently proclaimed that police can articulate probable cause of crime on LICENSED CCW holders now. Fuck me, why do I have to be so damn broke and can't move!?!?!?!?!?!

Look at me wrong=PC
Have a camera=PC
Know the law=PC
Have a shirt that says "Don't tread on me"=PC
Mention the Constitution=PC

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

A lot of people try to ignore this... but you pretty much nailed it.


Yeah, but they aren't content with $100 fines. They want prison sentences, or at least probation. Some people make a lot of money in that business, and unfortunately, some of them are brown too.

Well, at least everyone can rule out Cocoa, Florida for vacation.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Probable cause, of what? Do these idiots in LE have any idea what that term even means nowadays?

In other news, I heard the Attorney General Pam Bondi recently proclaimed that police can articulate probable cause of crime on LICENSED CCW holders now.


I don't really understand. Link? Or help?

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

I don't really understand. Link? Or help?

Found something myself...

http://www.allnineyards.com/2012/10/florida-ag-says-carrying-a-gun-is-always-presumably-a-crime/

That's fucked up.

[Elwar]

It is ironic that they passed a law to ban baggy pants so that they can make it easier to find drug users.

The original reason for banning marijuana was because it was a crop brought up from Mexico and the Mexicans.

So instead of creating a law banning those "damned Mexicans" they just banned marijuana.

Now we need to ban baggy pants to get to the marijuana to go after those "damned Mexicans".

[opal]

"person in public view from wearing pants or skirts below the waistline that expose the undergarments or the skin"

how many old white male golfers are gonna get nailed when their plaid's droop?
ya think the 20 year old beach going females that happen to be wearing hip huggers are gonna get cited?
are thongs pants?

wouldn't ya love to have been a fly on the wall at that meeting

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

"person in public view from wearing pants or skirts below the waistline that expose the undergarments or the skin"

how many old white male golfers are gonna get nailed when their plaid's droop?
ya think the 20 year old beach going females that happen to be wearing hip huggers are gonna get cited?
are thongs pants?


That's what I was thinking when I said to cross it off as a vacation destination. The baggy pants thing wouldn't affect me personally one bit, but I don't like douchebag city councils and police chiefs, either. Not that they can really be avoided, but these douchebags just outed themselves way too hard.

[Barrex]

I wrote about this (new taxes/fines) already on this forum. This is probably not about pants. Government spends too much and needs money to keep spending. Look at history (Persia, Roman empire SSSR...) new taxes will be introduced until collapse. (income tax, property tax, alcohol, chimney....) you name it.

[TonySutton]

I suspect Cocoa, FL may soon see a shortage of plumbers.

http://www.sjaplumbing.com.au/images640/crack.jpg

[paulbot24]

/\/\ Proof that anything that black people can come up with, white people can make worse.

[ronpaulfollower999]

They've had a law like this in Riviera Beach, Fl for a few years now, too.

I should note that Riviera Beach voters approved the law, a city where 67% of the residents are black. In this case, I don't think its a racist law. Unconstitutional? Probably.

[FrancisMarion]

Saggy Pants? Pfft.

Try driving down the road with long hair, window down, and a Dead sticker on the back of your car.

[phill4paul]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqzha6g5ZvI

[presence]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg7m2qdo3zw
Bikini contest at Cocoa Beach Florida one piece thong contestant Kimberly

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

I should note that Riviera Beach voters approved the law, a city where 67% of the residents are black. In this case, I don't think its a racist law. Unconstitutional? Probably.


Very valid points/distinctions, but I wonder how many of that 67% have been stripped of their voting rights.

Whether intentionally racist or not, I think a lot of people here have correctly pointed out that it will be selectively enforced in a manner that will at least seem racist.