By Kasai Childress, Oct. 24, 2023
Street takeovers are a new trend occurring in the car community, even near Cal Poly Pomona.
Police seized 19 cars and made 27 arrests in Pomona Sept. 6, 2022, after a street takeover took place, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Street takeovers consist of large crowds of people shutting down a particular intersection while drivers conduct dangerous and reckless stunts in the middle of the road. They are more popular now due to the amount of coverage they get on social media.
Swinging cars and long burnouts are just a few of the many dangerous stunts currently going on at street takeovers. Whether it’s the odor of burning rubber released in the air or the look of natural clouds created, these events are causing much more harm than good, and it gives real car enthusiasts a bad reputation.
“The car community is diverse, and there’s a small group of people that are making it difficult for the rest of us to enjoy our hobby,” said Dylan Luong, a car enthusiast and public relations student. “The media sensationalizes these folks who just want to do ridiculous stunts. Every time I go to a car meet or up in the canyons, there is always police presence.”
Apps such as TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and other platforms are displaying these events. Social media is a key way of spreading this type of behavior, and it is reaching all types of age groups.
In a press release from January, Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Donald Graham talked about the effects street takeovers are having in L.A.
“Street racing has evolved and unfortunately the laws have not evolved with it,” said Graham. “The current California vehicle code doesn’t really have a definition for what is happening out there in the streets. The idea of taking away their vehicles rather than increasing the penalty won’t affect them for the rest of our lives.”
Law enforcement have been struggling for some time in combating this situation.
According to an article from the Los Angeles Times released Aug. 30, 2022, police agencies don’t have the manpower or resources to control intersection takeovers.
This is leaving car enthusiast within the CPP community in a tough spot in enjoying their hobby, but sociology student Andrew Chiem shared other ways to get involved in the car community without being around takeovers.
“You can branch out to other schools and talk to other people at their meets as well as going to the track,” said Chiem. “People are just trying to have a good time. It’s a bit obnoxious to me as far as takeovers. I’m just trying to have a chill time.”
Feature Image Courtesy of KTLA
