A video has gone viral of a UC Berkeley bicycle officer taking cash from the wallet of a hot dog vendor. The man was apparently operating without a permit and the officer confiscated all the cash he had on him. The vendor tries to protest but the officer puts the money away and begins to write a citation. Scott Biddy who is the UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor said that normally vendors are given a warning before a citation is issued.
Biddy went on to say, "We have instructed our officers to monitor illegal vending outside our event venues. This action has been motivated at least in part by issues of public health, the interests of local small businesses, and even human trafficking. n a case such as this, it is typical to collect any suspected illegal funds and enter them into evidence." The video of the hot dog vendor was taken by alumnus Martin Flores who says he was buying hot dogs for his kids after a Cal's game. Flores said the officer interrupted the vendor while he was selling him hot dogs to ask for the vendor's ID and as the man went to pull it from his wallet the officer snatched it from his hands.
Flores tries to intervene between the officer and the vendor by saying, "That’s not right," and asking why he is taking the vendor's "hard-earned money." The officer only responds, "Yeah, well he doesn’t have a permit. He doesn’t have a permit. Yep, this is law and order in action … Thank you for your support." University officials say that the officer took $60 from the vendor.
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