Street takeover task force to crack down on organized events in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas - The night of mayhem in Austin with four street takeovers between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. is now getting the attention of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
In a statement Thursday, Abbott announced the start of a statewide task force to put a stop to combat the problem as takeovers become more frequent and violent.
There have been several instances across North Texas as well, including in Grapevine and Euless.
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"These street takeovers put the lives of Texans and Texas law enforcement officers at risk," said DPS Director Steven McCraw in the statement. "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."
"You have so many law enforcement entities that don't have the resources of the manpower to counter it," said Dr. Alex del Carmen, a criminologist from Tarlton State University in Fort Worth.
Del Carmen says many cities need the help of Texas DPS to show racers they can no longer take over city streets.
"Psychology takes place they feel they have taken over part of a city that laws don't apply, the rules don't apply," del Carmen said.
Tuesday, Austin's police chief explained how the city struggled through Saturday night into Sunday morning breaking up racers that simply moved to another spot.
"If Austin Police Department, one of the largest departments in the state, was overwhelmed, imagine what happens in rural areas where you have 2-3 police officers," del Carmen pointed out.
Austin street takeover leads to 7 arrests
Witness videos show a chaotic scene - cars doing donuts, fireworks going off and some people catching on fire. As of Tuesday, one person has been arrested by DPS and six people have been arrested by APD in connection to the weekend event. They are facing charges that include evading arrest, drug possession and unlawful carrying of weapons.
For years Dallas battled similar street takeovers, but in 2020 the city passed an ordinance that made being a spectator at races illegal.
DPD says its numbers show the impact of the department's crack down.
In 2021, there were 831 spectator arrests, that dropped dramatically to 112 in 2022.
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The calls about street racing dropped by almost 50%, from more than 8,800 calls in 2021 to about 4,700 calls in 2022.
"We are a nation of laws, as George Washington said, time to remind people we all have to adhere to the legal system," said del Carmen.
The governor's office said the task force will focus on the "organized crime aspect" of the street takeovers. State troopers will also file felony charges associated with the crimes will result in prison time.
DPS is asking the public to report any possible street takeovers through the iWatchTexas website and app or by calling 844-643-2251.
If you see a street takeover taking place, they ask you to call 911 immediately.