Eighteen young people were taken into custody in Atlanta earlier this week — an exception to the often-fruitless task of trying to enforce traffic laws during dangerous “street takeovers” erupting in cities across the U.S. in recent years.
Police released video of a massive swarm of onlookers as they cheered rubber-burning cars “drifting” donuts in the middle of an Atlanta intersection, followed by the car and foot chases by cops as they broke up the event and arrested drivers doing the dangerous maneuvers.
Atlanta and Georgia State police were dispatched to the intersection at 12:40 a.m. for a crowd gathered around cars “driving recklessly, blocking the roadway from citizen motorists, laying drag, and performing illegal drifting maneuvers,” the California Post reported.
Also called “sideshows” or “meetups” in the street racing subculture, such late-night takeovers have become the plague of many major cities, organized through social media and drawing large crowds who stand dangerously close to the spinning cars.
Often, daredevils in the cars hang out of windows and sunroofs during the car stunts, trying to make the most alarming impression, knowing bystanders will post video of the sideshow on social media.
While these kinds of events date back several decades, they gained in popularity during the COVID epidemic, law enforcement authorities say, who noted the takeovers spawn injuries among participants and theft from local businesses, and often involve stolen vehicles.
YouTube features numerous videos of takeovers in metropolitan Atlanta in recent months.
In southern California, the problem has gotten so bad that Los Angeles County last year launched a “Street Takeover Reduction Work Plan.” Among other things, it calls for education programs in schools and dividers in intersections that would prohibit the cars from their stunts.
The body cam video of the recent Atlanta takeover shows the arrival of police at the event and the chases leading to the apprehension of some of the racers.
During one foot chase, an officer yells, “You better stop before I taze.”
Eighteen alleged street racers were taken into custody and charged with multiple traffic violations in the recent Atlanta meetup, which also resulted in the seizure of multiple firearms and the impounding of participating vehicles, according to authorities.
The oldest arrested was 25, and the youngest was 15, police said.
“The Atlanta Police Department extends its appreciation to the Georgia State Patrol for their continued partnership and assistance,” a police statement said.
It also warned, “Illegal street racing will not be tolerated in the City of Atlanta; Individuals engaging in this activity will be arrested, charged, and have their vehicles impounded.”
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
