LA Targets 50 Worst Street Takeover Intersections After Massive Crackdown

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday called for a report on available and additional enforcement tools necessary to crack down on street takeovers, a few days after authorities swarmed a weekend street takeover in the Harbor Gateway area and issued 570 citations.

Council members voted unanimously to support a motion introduced last month by Councilman Tim McOsker, who represents the Harbor Gateway area. While McOsker is seeking enforcement in a particular intersection in his district, he is hoping that the report will result in greater opportunities for the city to address the takeovers citywide.

In his 15th Council District, McOsker said Figueroa Street and Alondra Boulevard has been the site of persistent street takeovers, which are illegal gatherings that can involve reckless driving, excessive speeding, burnouts, blocked roadways, large crowds and other dangerous activity. These takeovers, also known as "sideshows," can result in significant damage to public infrastructure and create costs to taxpayers for any repairs.

He also urged relevant departments to report back on the 50 most impacted intersections, and what can be done to improve them.

"I think we need to see where we are with those 50 in that snapshot, but we're also asking for an update of that list because Alondra and Figueroa is not the only intersection that is experiencing these persistent takeovers, which have no redeeming value whatsoever," McOsker said.

"The second they begin, they are criminal behavior, and I will say that I'm grateful to the LAPD for putting together a plan in anticipation of this motion and this activity, where they did do an operation this past weekend in the South Bureau," McOsker added.

Deputy Chief Mark Green of the Los Angeles Police Department's South Bureau Operations joined the council's meeting Tuesday to discuss last weekend's action. Green noted that there were 867 street takeovers in 2024, 230 in 2025 and so far in 2026 there have been 266 such events.

"Over the past year, we have seen an increase in other criminal activity related to the takeovers, such as robberies, shootings, assault with deadly weapons, looting, and most recently, the removal of fire hydrants next to the intersections," Green said.

Most of the events are happening in South Los Angeles and downtown, and have grown in size, Green added.

"We've also seen that they're changing their days when these takeovers occur and the times — sometimes occurring at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m," Green said. "Although each geographical bureau within the LAPD has their own street racing task force, the number (of officers) is less than 10 per team, so it's very difficult to address these large crowds, which sometimes swell to 600 to 700 people."

Last weekend's response took place around 3:20 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of South Figueroa Street and West Alondra Boulevard. In addition to the hundreds of citations, a task force that included more than 150 LAPD officers and counterparts from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol arrested 66 people and impounded hundreds of vehicles.

Green noted there have been no street takeovers within the city since Saturday's enforcement operation.

"We will continue to utilize our street racing task force teams in each bureau, and if necessary, we will coordinate a larger response again, like we did Friday to Saturday morning," Green said. "We are also looking at identifying organizers of these events and working with the City Attorney's Office and the District Attorney's Office to see if we can hold those people accountable."

At a news conference at the same intersection Saturday afternoon, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell promised: "This is only the beginning."

Among the arrests in a crowd estimated at over 700 people was one for suspicion of assault on a police officer, one for suspicion of battery and one on suspicion of obstructing or interfering with an arrest, McDonnell said.

Some 442 people were cited for being a spectator at a speed contest, and 128 juveniles between the ages of 11 and 17 for curfew violations. Seven firearms were seized and an undisclosed amount of nitrous oxide was recovered, police said.

More than 200 vehicles were impounded. Some were stolen, some were rented and some were borrowed from unknowing parents, according to McDonnell.

The illegal gatherings have plagued LA County for the last few years, but have increased markedly in recent weeks, with some takeovers leading to robberies of nearby retail stores. Until recently, most of the takeovers resulted in no arrests, as participants and spectators scatter when police arrive.

Last month, the LASD detailed measures it has launched to combat the wave of street takeovers and associated crimes, stating that it was working to "identify and hold organizers and participants accountable through arrests, vehicle impounds, citations and criminal prosecution."

By Jose Herrera, City News Service