LA County officials struggling to find answers for street takeover problem

Los Angeles County has struggled to deal with an extensive series of street takeovers since the beginning of 2020, occurring with what seems to be increased frequency on any given street corner in nearly every community.

A recent video shows a group blocking a Los Angeles County Fire Department engine attempting to get to the scene of a medical emergency in South Los Angeles. An LACoFD spokesman noted how much it delayed their response time, and even though it was the first time he's heard of something like this happening, he's worried it won't be the last.

Death, destruction and a complete lack of concern for public safety are among the few issues that stem from the repeat incidents, yet participants gather to perform dangerous driving stunts while surrounded by hundreds of onlookers. At times, the events have ended up in shootings, grisly car crashes or damage to local property and sometimes looting, like what happened at a 7-Eleven in Harbor-Gateway, where dozens of people ransacked the store.

Some city officials have attempted to curb the issue by calling for the installation of several sets of Botts' Dots at popular intersections, while local law enforcement agencies have formed task forces dedicated to tackling the issue. 

With seemingly no answer to the ever-growing problem, county officials are reaching out to the public for their suggestions on the matter, hosting a public meeting scheduled for Wednesday morning, where they'll take a direct look at the issue and the impact it has on public safety. The forum will be hosted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Civilian Oversight Commission.

Lili Trujillo, who founded "Street Racing Kills" eight years ago after her daughter was killed at a street race, is one of the many locals planning to attend the meeting.

"The situation is getting really, really bad," she said. "I'm just hoping that nobody gets killed every time. ... The pain never goes away, so don't do that to your parents. Don't make your mom cry forever."

In June, two women were killed after they crashed during a street takeover in Compton, and just weeks later and streets away, a shooting at another sideshow left one man dead. In late August a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot at a takeover in East Los Angeles, 30 minutes from his house. 

The newly-unveiled Sixth Street Bridge was a popular location in the weeks after its grand opening, as consistent street takeovers led to authorities shutting the road down overnight. Several crashes occurred from these incidents, as well as repeat vandalism and instances of illegal fireworks being set off in the area. 

Residents throughout the Southland are fed up with the antics, with dozens gathering in Angelino Heights in late-August to protest the filming of the newest installment of the "Fast & Furious" series, which they believe promotes street racing and other dangerous driving stunts. In Anaheim, a man living in the area where a street takeover was taking place confronted the crowd while armed with a sharp weapon of some kind, urging them to leave his neighborhood. 

Even some former participants are trying to put a stop to the events, including Hector Elizaola, who recalls the events as a fun time, while noting that the potential danger just isn't worth it. 

"Honestly, it was fun. It was just fun doing doughnuts, seeing the cars blowing out smoke, the thrill of it," he said. "With everything that's going on right now with the takeovers, with what happened to people ... they get hit, or even when they're racing people die."

Now, he's hoping to make other people, including his younger brothers, realize the potential implications.

Community leaders, law enforcement officials and local experts will speak at the forum to highlight a series of efforts that have already been used to mitigate the street takeovers. 

More information on how to virtually attend the LASD Civilian Oversight Committee meeting or to submit input can be found here.