City is making progress combating sideshow takeovers
Sideshow takeovers are a phenomenon which began in the 1980s in the Bay Area and in the last five years they have become a frequent occurrence in many cities across the United States.
A sideshow takeover is when a group as small as 50 and as large as 500 or more vehicles gather at a public place and engage in stunt maneuvers such as burnouts and donuts.
They usually meet at a major intersection and “takeover” by blocking all directions of travel and then engage in their “sideshow” by taking turns burning rubber in the center of the crowd.
While the stunts are being performed by the drivers, large crowds of spectators will gather around the intersection and many of them will make a contest of getting as close to the cars as possible as they skid by sideways at high speed. When you read about someone being hurt or killed at a takeover, it is always from a spectator that got too close or a driver that lost control and unintentionally hit a spectator.
Sideshows are coordinated on social media apps like Instagram where these groups plan the events and locations and then communicate with the crowds. They will post the meet locations a few days prior to the event, and usually do not announce the takeover location until they are about to head out. The takeover will last about 30 minutes and then they will post a new location and everyone will break down and move to the next intersection. This process will repeat five to 10 times throughout the night at different intersections all over the city.
Since these are usually announced with only two or threevdays’ notice, it is hard for most law enforcement agencies to gather the necessary resources and plan effective operations. Also, the fact they are able to break down and relocate so quickly, and that each location is unknown until they are taking it over create additional obstacles for trying to shut them down.
Some may think these events are just harmless young people having fun, and it’s true that most of the people involved are not serious criminals, but these events seem to spiral out of control every time. First, many regular motorists get stuck in the gridlocked traffic and if they get out of their vehicles to protest the situation, they are often assaulted, robbed and their vehicles are vandalized for their trouble. Second, the participants know they can avoid enforcement by police by sticking together and blocking the one or two officers that usually respond. Lastly, as the takeover unfolds, the crowds of less committed spectators become emboldened and a mob mentality begins to possess them. This mob mentality leads to additional crimes such as vandalism and theft.
Takeover culture is not limited to just motor vehicles. There are motorcycle takeovers, off-road vehicle takeovers and even bicycle takeovers that are becoming more common. If you have spent any time downtown, at The Marketplace or the Valley Plaza, you have probably seen the bicycle problem. It is being addressed.
The good news is, vehicle takeovers used to be a regular problem in Bakersfield, but due to the joint efforts of the Bakersfield Police Department, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office and the local California Highway Patrol, they have been mostly eliminated. There are still car club meet-ups but these are mostly law-abiding groups that cause very little trouble. There are also still car clubs who do burnouts on public streets and would love to have takeovers again, but they have lost the support of the blockers they need to shut down intersections.
Other major cities in California are experiencing an increase in frequency and intensity of takeovers, which is a direct result of their cite-and-release approach to enforcement. Our city has taken a different approach and has had a much better impact. If you are interested in more information, there is a piece on my Substack that explains how the problem was solved.
My point is, takeover culture is another symptom in the greater problem that is facing California. Turning your back on low-level crime and quality-of-life issues does not lead to prosperity through decarceration and additional funding. It leads to chaos and disorder.