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Tire tracks from a takeover mark the intersection of Washington Boulevard in Commerce Way.
BY BRIAN HEWS
They are called takeovers, and it does not have anything to do with corporations.
Car clubs or groups of friends block intersections, streets, even freeways, and proceed to do illegal vehicular maneuvers, while recording their stunts for social media, including “doing donuts,” which leave the streets marked with black tire tracks.
Some drivers have attacked officers, ambulances, fire engines and people just trying to get through the blocked street.
And the problem is growing; on one recent weekend, the LAPD dealt with sixteen takeovers in a five hour period.
The drivers are smart about pulling the takeovers off, attracting so many drivers and observers that they outnumber the police officers.
At some takeovers, they have 300 people present, if police arrest just four of the perpetrators, it takes an hour or more to complete the arrest while the other 296 go to another intersection.
Now it looks like they have chosen the city of Commerce as a new playground.
This past Saturday night, cruisers as they are known, blocked the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Commerce Way and “had a huge donut party” according to one observer.
The intersection is a mere one block away from City Hall and only three miles from the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s station who would be in charge of responding.
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The intersection was left a complete mess, almost covered by black tire tracks.
And according to emails sent to Hews Media Group – Los Cerritos Community News, the group came back on Sunday night and did the same thing, this time lighting fireworks.
The mess left some on social media wondering who would clean it up and why the city was not doing anything about the takeovers.
Anyone with information can call the Sheriff’s department at 323-264-4151.
