Suffolk County residents say police need to do more to stop illegal, dangerous car meet-ups
LINDENHURST, N.Y. -- Following two weekend arrests, police on Long Island say they are cracking down on large illegal and dangerous car meet-ups, but people who live near these meet-up locations say they need to do much more.
Tire marks are streaked across the pavement of a Lindenhurst strip mall and across Long Island, and on social media, it's not hard to find the cars that create them.
Boasting of dangerous tricks, hanging off moving cars, spinning tires and doing donuts in front of crowds -- homeowners say they're plagued by blaring music and revving engines from meet-ups all hours of the night.
"We thought we were in a different world, there were so many of them," Lindenhurst resident Anne Vobis told CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff. "Very dangerous. You'll see them weaving in and out of traffic. They really try to even provoke."
"It's literally right there, and this is a neighborhood, you shouldn't have that," Lindenhurst resident Susan Fromel said.
"What they do is donuts, and people jump in the middle to take video," Lindenhurst resident Jim Fromel said. "The parking lot is disgusting with the marks in it. You try to keep your community decent, that's all you ask for."
Now, Suffolk police are cracking down. Last weekend, they arrested two men and impounded their cars. The charges included reckless endangerment, engaging in exhibition or stunt behavior and reckless driving.
Michael Ginsberg was arraigned on Sunday. He was placed on supervised release, and the judge granted the non-monetary condition of supervised release. The crimes were non-qualifying offenses. He's being represented by the Legal Aid Society.
The 1st Precinct issued a field appearance ticket for Jay Euskadi, and he is set to be arraigned on Dec. 2. Counsel hasn't been retained yet.
The department says it's taking an aggressive stance by utilizing additional resources, sharing intelligence with law enforcement partners and increasing enforcement.
"While these gatherings may appear entertaining, the behavior exhibited is dangerous," the department said.
Neighbors say despite years of complaints, the meet-ups keep disturbing the peace.
"Sometime we'll call they cops. They come, but they just come back and do it again, so there's no end to it," Lindenhurst resident Donna Runkel said.
Posted videos show brazen participants flouting the law. One video from October shows individuals jumping on a Suffolk Police patrol car.
"They mock police. They intimidate us," Vobis said.
Suffolk Police are slapping these drivers with more than criminal charges; they warn vehicle owners that participation in these meet-ups could lead to the seizure of their cars.
Residents are asked to anonymously report upcoming gatherings to Suffolk County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.