VIDEO: L.A. Cops Throw Down on Street Takeovers, Arrest 69, Impound 200 Cars

Los Angeles cops apparently have had enough.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) made a big statement about street takeovers this weekend as more than 150 officers were deployed to a lawless meetup in a residential Los Angeles neighborhood around 2 a.m. Saturday, where they made 69 arrests, issued 570 citations, and impounded more than 200 vehicles.

Seven firearms were also discovered in what the LAPD called “Operation Street Sweeper” in the Harbor Gateway area of south L.A.

LAPD showed up with buses and a fleet of tow trucks on the unsuspecting crowd of an estimated 700 people, ABC’s local affiliate reported.

The effort is one of the most robust responses in the country to the dangerous, other-worldly takeovers also known as “sideshows,” which have become an ongoing plague in not only Los Angeles but in other cities across the U.S. as well.

Escalating during the COVID pandemic, the street takeovers have been difficult to prevent. But police executives across the country have also begun to meet and share strategies to curtail the potentially deadly events.

On Saturday, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell announced the results, saying drone technology helped predict the locations of four separate takeovers that merged into the massive scene at South Figueroa Street and West Alondra Boulevard.

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The events, which are organized online, typically feature cars spinning in circles inside a dangerously close crowd that encircles an intersection, all occurring as smoke bombs, fireworks, and lasers often create dystopian video footage that finds its way onto social media. Looting of nearby stores sometimes takes place in the chaos.

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The operation over the weekend was conducted by LAPD’s Street Racing Task Force.
ABC reported:

In total, McDonnell said 66 people were arrested for participating in or aiding in a street race or takeover. Three additional arrests were made: one for assaulting an officer, one for battery and one for obstructing or interfering with officers.

In addition to the nearly 70 arrests, 570 citations were issued, McDonnell said. Of those 570 citations, 442 were issued for being a spectator at a speed contest or exhibition of speed. An additional 128 citations were issued for juveniles who were out past the city of Los Angeles’ 10 p.m. curfew for minors. McDonnell said the youngest person was just 11 years old.

During the crackdown, one of the vehicles that was impounded caught fire, the chief said.

“This is not harmless fun. This is criminal behavior. Your children are participating in an active crime scene where they are lawfully subject to immediate arrest and exposed to harm,” McDonnell said. “Parents — know where your kids are. Watch out for them and have serious talks with them about what they are dealing with here… one single reckless decision can ruin or take their life.”

McDonnell also warned that there is a new policy in play. “This morning was only the beginning,” he said. “If you’re there, we’re going to be there, too.”

Breitbart News 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.