‘Street Takeovers’ Sweep Across U.S., Sparking Fear as Ex-Detective Warns of Deadly Consequences

The former detective explains how she thinks the “street takeovers,” which have caused chaos and even deaths, spread so quickly.

 

Lolita Harper is the executive director of the Sheriff’s Employees’ Benefit Association, a former detective. She said: “Street Takeovers” are when large groups descend on a street in order to race, earn-out, or perform tricks.

 

“They have become more dangerous because of the damage they cause, the crowds they attract, and their essentially taking over entire communities or intersections. This has even resulted in property damage, car fires, broken windows, and smashes.”

 

Over the weekend, hundreds of people participated in a California Street Takeover near Costa Mesa & Santa Ana. A video from the scene shows a large crowd gathering as a driver in a green car performs doughnuts while around a fire.

 

Harper says that these agitators have used social media to promote takeovers of the streets.

 

 

She said: “Technology makes it easier to spread this message, and also attracts a bigger crowd. This increases its popularity, and therefore, the danger.”

 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four new laws to help law enforcement agencies in the state clamp down on disruptions. Harper, however, said that her state government had not done enough.

 

She said, “I believe California has been a leader in decriminalizing several things.” “We’ve taken so much focus off what they call nonviolent crime with almost zero penalties for those things classified as nonviolent that they just keep growing and growing because people know they won’t get into trouble.”

 

Last week, dozens of people in Cleveland called 911 when a wild crowd swarmed streets with cars and weapons in a disruptive takeover.

 

A person pleaded with the dispatcher for help by saying “Police.” Police. The outlet said, “Please send some police up here.”

 

“If cars are set on fire or windows are smashed, we can track them using surveillance cameras,” Harper added that these investigations are lengthy and thorough.

 

 

Harper explained that there are several factors at play in these gatherings that make it hard for law enforcement officials to hold the people responsible for the disorder accountable.

 

It’s difficult to determine who is responsible for the large crowds. “Once you are present in the area, they disperse quickly,” she said. “Large crowds require a large police presence, which takes resources away from other areas of the city.”

 

In a report published in June, Dominic Choi, interim chief of the Los Angeles Police Department at the time, stated that street races, takeovers, and speed contests had all increased from April to May 2024, compared with the same period in 2023.

 

Choi wrote that street takeovers could cause physical injury, noise pollution, traffic disruptions, and property damage. They can also lead to death.

 

Harper agrees with this conclusion.

 

She said, “The risk of death is enormous. You’re taking safety away. You take away their sense of community and the feeling that they can walk to school with their children. This is another tragedy that cannot be quantified by death. You’re destroying the quality of life in these communities.”