Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launches street takeover task force
AUSTIN (CBSNewsTexas) - Gov. Greg Abbott launched a statewide street takeover task force to tackle the issue facing many North Texas cities, including Dallas, Fort Worth and most recently Austin.
On Thursday, Feb. 23, Gov. Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to address the dangerous street takeovers happening across Texas.
"These street takeovers put the lives of Texans and Texas law enforcement officers at risk," said DPS Director Steven McCraw in a release. "We are seeing fireworks fired at officers in crowds, lasers pointed at aircraft, drivers driving upwards of 130 miles per hour with no lights on in the dark of night – all of it is reckless, and it needs to be stopped."
The announcement comes days after video of an out-of-control street takeover in Austin went viral. Dozens of cars were damaged and one police officer was injured.
"There was people standing in the middle of the street trying to grab the cars, hanging on to the cars as they're spinning, getting thrown from the cars, people hanging flags. You got to deter this somehow, if not, it's anarchy," Barton Springs Saloon Property Manager, William Rabel told CBS 11 News.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson called the incident "illegal and outrageous."
According to the governor's office, the newly launched task force would be led by members of DPS' Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Highway Patrol, Aviation Operations Division and Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division. These agencies would also be working with local law enforcement agencies statewide.
"Despite the foolish attempts by some local officials to defund and demoralize our brave law enforcement officers, Texas is and remains a law-and-order state," the governor said in a release. "We must send a clear message that these reckless, coordinated criminal events will not be tolerated in Texas."
