I live in Ventura Ca and I see California Highway Patrol cruising around the city streets following cars doing illegal u-turns to pull people over for minor infractions on residential streets. I thought that CHP were designed for the freeway patrol and PD was for the city patrol. If CHP is patrolling our city streets who is patrolling our freeways??
Of course they can patrol those streets. You need to remember they are responsible for all roadways in the state. And the old argument that they are only for the "highway" isn’t right. Even if it was, a highway is defined as any road open to the public. CA vehicle code 360. It defines what a "highway" is:
"Highway" is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly
maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of
vehicular travel. Highway includes street.
October 27th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Yep, they have jurisdiction just about everywhere in the state.
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October 27th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Yes..
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October 27th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
They sure can. In some cities the local police do not like this practice, though. Basically, the CHP are just fishing for tickets. Local police call it "poaching."
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October 27th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Of course they can patrol those streets. You need to remember they are responsible for all roadways in the state. And the old argument that they are only for the "highway" isn’t right. Even if it was, a highway is defined as any road open to the public. CA vehicle code 360. It defines what a "highway" is:
"Highway" is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly
maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of
vehicular travel. Highway includes street.
References :
Police officer
October 27th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
yes they can-any public roadway
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October 27th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
In California "Highway" is a generic term covering all streets, roads, avenues, etc..that are maintained and used by the public.
CHP has jurisdiction.
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California cop (Not CHP)