“Street takeovers,” during which hundreds of people show up and close off intersections or parking lots in order to do doughnuts and other car stunts, are being targeted with a heavy hand by leaders in Prince George’s County.
At a Public Safety committee meeting Thursday, a bill that would expand state law around the illegal street takeovers advanced. If passed, the bill would make simply attending a street takeover to watch punishable by a $1,000 fine or even jail time.
“If you see someone with a flag or start mechanism to start the vehicle, state law is silent, though, on people that are spectating and attending. The state gives us the authority to fill in that gap,” Prince George’s County Council member Wanika Fisher, who sponsored the bill, said.
The bill was amended in committee to cap jail time at 60 days, but those who attend those rallies will also face fines that start at $1,000 and increase by $1,000 for subsequent violations.
“Street takeovers are not just harmless gatherings,” said Maj. David Hansen with the Prince George’s County Police Department. “They draw hundreds of vehicles and spectators, blocking intersections and roadways in a matter of minutes. These events create dangerous, chaotic conditions that put drivers, bystanders and our officers at serious risk. And it goes beyond just traffic violations, these events often attract violence and escalate into broader criminal activity.”
Hansen said people come from as far away as New York, North Carolina and even Indiana to attend street takeovers in Prince George’s County. If signed into law, he said, those who show up for these events could also see their vehicles impounded immediately.
“Since Jan. 1, our department has dismantled more than 20 of these events in Prince George’s County,” Hansen said. “That enforcement has resulted in 12 arrests, 75 traffic citations and the recovery of 10 illegal firearms.”
Most of these events are promoted through social media, and they’re held either late at night or in the early morning hours on the weekends, often moving from one jurisdiction to another.
The legislation still has to go before the full council for a final vote, but the measure seems certain to pass, and County Executive Aisha Braveboy was on hand to lend her support to the measure.
“These races would not happen if spectators wouldn’t come to see it,” Braveboy said. “So they’re as responsible, and should be responsible, as those who are directly participating in the actual race.”
While this measure would only apply to crimes in Prince George’s County, the hope is that it will spur other local jurisdictions to enact similar legislation to dissuade these meetups from happening.
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