Yahoo Autos Street Takeovers Heat Up In Southern California
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Street takeovers sprang up all over the San Fernando Valley in Southern California late on June 20 and in the early morning hours of June 21. While law enforcement scrambled to stamp them out, more popped up like a wildfire spreading unchecked, leading us to wonder if this summer won’t be one to remember.
Violent street takeovers rock San Francisco and Oakland.
With the warm weather upon us and the Fourth of July quickly approaching, authorities are bracing for more street takeovers with larger, rowdier crowds. There’s already a big problem there and in other parts of the country, but like a festering wound it can’t be ignored forever.
A recent report from KTLA 5 highlighted the takeovers late last weekend and speculated about what summer in the area might be like as far as sideshows, as some call the illegal gatherings. We’re thinking if something doesn’t change, the current trajectory of more takeovers, which bring violence, looting, and other crimes, is the likely course.
As pointed out by KTLA 5, slow police response times to the street takeovers means by the time they did arrive, the gatherings were often done or just wrapping up. These kids know what they’re doing. They know not just one or two cops can respond when there are hundreds of people at a takeover.
There has to be some sort of way to rapidly put together a response to a takeover, contain suspects, etc. A takeover task force exists but obviously something needs to be shifted. We don’t have the answers but we hope someone in law enforcement is working on a solution.
Even more important, prosecutors need to be willing to throw the book at participants. If they get arrested but don’t face much in the way of consequences, these events will only become more frequent and rowdier.
Image kia KTLA 5/YouTube
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