KTVU reporter rides along with OPD during sideshow crackdown

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Oakland police, in a joint operation with Berkeley police, the California Highway Patrol and the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, once again, hit the streets on Sunday to stop sideshow activity. 

KTVU rode along with Oakland Police Capt. Randy Wingate, who headed the operation to curb the illegal activity that resulted in the injury of an officer a week earlier.

"We're working smarter, and we're just going to try to come up with a good plan, if the sideshow happens,"  Wingate said.

Before hitting the streets, Wingate dropped by the 911 Emergency Call Center, where calls for help are dispatched.

"So right now we have at least one hundred and fifty-two calls pending," said Communications Supervisor Nikita Pierre.

She said that calls into the 911 call center to report sideshows and the police response to them is affecting who can get help around the city. 

"We just had a call that was dispatched out for a person who was armed," said Pierre "We're now pulling resources from other parts of the city."

Pierre told KTVU that because officers were tied up responding to sideshow calls, they were unable to dispatch someone to look into the man with a gun for 40 minutes. 

Later in the day on Sunday, officers spotted two people recklessly driving dirt bikes on public streets. 

With the riders refusing to stop and police unable to chase due to the non-violent nature of the crime, the men sped away and eventually eluded police. 

Wingate and the enforcement team circle areas popular with sideshows, such as 42nd Avenue and Interstate 880, known as "The Pit."

While it was quiet on Sunday, it was the scene of a chaotic sideshow one week prior, where roughly 100 people gathered for a sideshow. 

One officer was hurt by flying debris that was tossed someone attending the sideshow. 

There was the possibility that authorities could close down the intersection on Sunday to scare away sideshow activity, but that did not become necessary.

"We have the ability (shut it down)… that's CHP's jurisdiction, and they would just shut it down or at least meter it down… cone if off into one lane," Wingate said.