Targeting street takeovers; an inside look at LASD's efforts to curb dangerous sideshows

It is a sound that many in the Southland are all too familiar with, street racing sideshows shifting into hear gear, where hundreds of people gather to watch daring drivers, who at every turn get closer and closer to the crowds. 

However, on one Saturday night in Gardena, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department were ready. 

At around 9 p.m., members of the sheriff's department met up in Carson to beef up patrols and find street racers. 

"It's a nightly occurrence and it's pretty much terrible," Sgt. Michael Downing, told CBSLA. 

Downing is in charge of the Traffic Services detail. He brought in five extra units on Fourth of July weekend to try and curb the chaos. 

"Every night. Pick a city, pick a date, it is everywhere," Downing said. 

Asked if the street racing sideshows are frustrating for him, Downing said it is, because without more manpower, the department can't really combat the problem. He added that the issue is only getting worse and more dangerous. 

After a quick meeting, CBSLA's Joy Benedict joined Deputy Miguel Meza in an unmarked vehicle, and it didn't take long to find the first meetup. 

"It's a street takeover, so they're working on blocking off the intersection," Meza said. 

The deputy had found a location pop up on social media in Carson and then immediately discovered a blocked street and people running to see the show.

"If someone gets hurt, injured, shot at or hit by a car, there's no way for paramedics or deputy personnel to come inside the street," he said. 

All of this adds to the danger of street takeovers. Within a few minutes of arriving in the unmarked vehicle, deputy cruisers showed up with sirens blaring. The problem with sideshows, though, is that they just keep moving. 

Deputy Meza rolled up on a teenager in a Ford Mustang with no plates. The young man tried to run.

"I don't want to have to take your dad's car, bro," Meza said to the teen. 

With no license and in an unregistered car, the teen gave up the next meetup, and in return, he went home with a warning. 

"Go home, find a better place and stay away from these things," a deputy told the boy. 

It didn't take long to find the next meetup. Hundreds of people were watching the show as car after car tore up the asphalt just a few miles from the first location. Thankfully, no one was hurt this time, but that's not always the case. The damage also extends to the roads and the quality of life for those who live nearby. 

"We encourage the neighbors to call us on it because we don't want these takeovers to keep happening, because they only grow in numbers," Meza said. 

It's not just LASD trying to address the problem. According to the California Highway Patrol, statewide calls for street racing events took off between 2019 and 2021, and speeding citations for driving more than 100 miles per hour are up 65% in the same two-year period. 

In 2021 alone, officers wrote more than 25,000 tickets for driving faster than 100 miles per hour.

Back on this Saturday night, in the southern part of LA County, deputies wrote 20 citations and towed three cars because of the sideshows, but catching all the drivers would have taken resources that the department didn't have. 

"If we had more deputy personnel, our goal is to site cars, tow cars," Meza said. 

The pesky presence of LASD only stalled the show, and the fight to silence the roar of these engines will, unfortunately, continue.