Cops Bust Takeovers In Oakland, California
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California Highway Patrol has busted up street takeovers in Oakland, California in what’s being called a surge operation. The law enforcement agency boasted about making several arrests and impounding cars, but with how pervasive of a problem takeovers are in the city, it seems to be just a drop in the bucket.
Oakland city authorities remove anti-street takeover barriers.
That hasn’t kept local media from praising the move. But we’ve seen law enforcement agencies in other parts of the country come in and make hundreds or arrests, seizing dozens of vehicles, at a single takeover event.
CHP since has cracked down on more events, making more arrests and impounding more cars. While it’s great to see police in California trying to step up enforcement against street takeovers, we honestly would like to see more done to stamp the problem out.
In other states tough laws have been passed which enhances criminal charges which can be pressed against takeover participants. They also allow police to arrest and charge people watching the takeovers, not just the people driving vehicles in them. That helps discourage crowds from gathering to enjoy the illegal action.
Apparently, the surge enforcement was done by California Highway Patrol because Oakland Police doesn’t have the manpower to pull off these kinds of busts, or that’s what it sounds like from an NBC Bay Area report.
We’re honestly not surprised considering Oakland slashed its police budget back when defunding cops was fashionable. That combined with demonizing its law enforcement has now led to a tiny police force for the size of the city as plenty of other crimes, including violent ones, seem to go almost completely unchecked.
A report from KRON 4 highlights how CHP is using traffic cameras and license plate readers to go after street takeover participants long after events have been held. We just wonder what kinds of consequences drivers will face at the hands of public prosecutors.
With the Bay Area in California claiming to be the birthplace of the street takeover or sideshow movement long ago, it would be nice to see the problem eradicated there. However, we think more needs to be done before that has a chance of happening.
Image via NBC Bay Area/YouTube
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