Well color us shocked!
We’ve been sounding the alarm on street takeovers for a while now, pointing out that the people who participate in them aren’t real car enthusiasts. We’ve also pointed out that a fair number of the vehicles used in them are stolen, which explains why they’re driven so recklessly and the people at them find it so funny when they break big time. Now police in Indiana are pointing out this same fact, helping more people to realize what little crime magnets these events are.
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A report from WTHR in Indiana highlights the efforts of state police as they crack down on what they call “spinning events and street racing.” Whatever you want to call them, busting takeovers or sideshows has resulted in the recovery of over 80 stolen cars and the arrest of over 40 individuals.
Unfortunately, police and media keep getting it wrong as they try to paint the miscreants who go to these takeovers, whether they’re held in an intersection or a parking lot, as “car enthusiasts.” Stealing a Hellcat and thrashing it by ripping some smokey donuts while your thug friends record video to upload on social media doesn’t make you an enthusiast anymore than shopping at the mall makes you a fashion model.
Real enthusiasts care deeply about their cars. Sure, they might push the envelope on the track, but they don’t absolutely thrash it doing donuts in a parking lot – that’s a stupid reason to wreck your ride.
Even though they might not get all the details about motivations right, Indiana police are correct in asserting these takeover events are anything but harmless fun. Not only can people get hurt if the cars collide or hit a pedestrian, people have been shot at these gatherings, plus other criminal activities like drug deals and human trafficking are common at them.
Image via Indiana State Police
