Two infernos, a vandalized storefront, a Metro bus slamming into three cars, drones spitting fireworks at drifting, souped-up muscle cars. Relatively, it was a tame Labor Day Weekend in Los Angeles County, where illegal street takeovers continue to terrorize neighborhoods that have been co-opted as tourist attractions for drivers and spectators seeking internet clout.
Contemporary “takeovers”—in which drivers commandeer intersections and perform dangerous stunts for a scrum of onlookers—are a kind of successor to classic California car cultures including drag racing, cruising, lowriding, and sideshows.
But propelled by the manic, mimetic spectacle of social media, they have become a uniquely dangerous part of the landscape.
Vehicle thefts, shootings, flash mob robberies, and pedestrian fatalities associated with illegal racing and takeovers have all increased from pre-pandemic levels, according to officials.
Law enforcement agencies say they are cracking down with a zero tolerance approach, and a multi-agency task force dedicated to addressing the issue, investing in educational programming and diversion, enhancing technology, and deploying street modifications has been used at problem intersections.
Despite all this, the problem appears increasingly unhinged.
“What we’re seeing is this increase in violent behavior—looting, cars on fire. Recently, we had two kids shot and one murdered at a takeover, at a spin,” Craig Valenzuela, commander of the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Traffic Group, told the L.A. County Board of Supervisors at a July 30 meeting.
He was referring to a July 22 incident in which two 15-year-olds involved in a takeover were shot after an alleged robbery, including one fatally.
“That’s really what concerns us—it’s the level of violence and us trying to get in there to end those and keep our communities safe.”
At the meeting, other agencies and county staff presented a final report on illegal racing and takeovers in unincorporated county areas, nearly a year in the making.
They painted a rather bleak picture, acknowledging the scope and scale of the problem, and the fact that existing enforcement, as well as outreach efforts by authorities—seeking to influence the behavior of an anti-authority youth subculture—are not working.
“It has risen to that level where we really need to dedicate all of our resources and address this epidemic that’s wreaking havoc on our communities,” L.A. Assistant Sheriff Myron Johnson told the board.
