On Monday we showed you just a sample of the vicious public backlash resulting from the police crackdown on so called quality of life crimes - those minor, always overlooked offences, such as riding a bicycle without a bell or light.
And while there's been a public backlash, what we saw today was the administrative aftermath. Scores of people lined up at the police prosecution branch waiting for hours to pay their fines. It was not a happy scene as the queue ran up and down 2 flights of stairs and spilled outside the door onto the street.
We spoke to one of those very many crammed into the office, Wilbert Meighan Jr. who told us about his experience.
Wilbert Alfred Meighan Jr. Aka Beansie- fined for bicycle offence
"Well there was a commotion here today. It was totally unnecessary, especially in my incident because it was Monday morning and I was on Cemetery Road. I did came out from West Street and was heading down Cemetery Road contrary to traffic. But I saw the police from Euphrates coming walking and I got off my bike went in the yard in front of Salvation Army where they sell journey cakes and powder bun and I went to  purchase some stuff. I saw the police coming, I was already in the yard and if I knew they were coming at me, I would have ride left them because I could never believe - I was in the yard and when they took me to the precinct, the police didn't even cautioned me. The male and female police officer they were so happy. I even spoke to the police officer about 7 - 10 minutes before he call the mobile and told them that they got someone detain to be taken to Precinct One on Euphrates Avenue. When the officer reach there he was so happy, he told his colleagues that he has gotten one for the day. The police that took me was so nice, he told me that he hope they give me back my bike and just charge me and have me pay. I didn't get back my bike and I don't have any papers for the bike because I got it from a friend of mine in the States. The bike is so expensive and I spent a lot of money on the bike, the parts isn't cheap, but I would like back my bike."
And while most had to pay fines of $25 per offense, for others it had a much worse outcome since a fair number already had outstanding fines with the court and were in arrears. If they could not pay immediately they got sent to jail.
Indeed, the crackdown is causing all sorts of unforeseen after-effects, and one video that went viral on facebook has put it all into humourous perspective. It shows a man, holding a small baby who was taken in by police, apparently for a bicycle bell, much to the distress of his hysterical family. Watch what happens when police turned their head:..
No word on where the bell-man and the baby got to.
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