Cities warn street racing and takeovers pose growing public safety threat

A car drifts around spectators gathered in the middle of the intersection during an early morning street takeover at Compton Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue in Compton on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

SACRAMENTO — The California Contract Cities Association is urging state leaders to take action to curb a rise in illegal street racing and street takeovers that has led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries across Southern California.

The association said Los Angeles County law enforcement agencies documented more than 1,000 street takeover events during an 18-month period in recent years, highlighting what it described as a growing public safety crisis.

Statewide data links street racing and takeovers to at least 264 crashes, 124 serious injuries, and 30 fatalities.

“These are not isolated incidents or quality-of-life complaints,” said Marcel Rodarte, executive director of the association. “This is a countywide public safety emergency. Cities are being asked to address a fast-moving regional threat with tools designed for a different era.”

Recent incidents cited by the association include fatal crashes tied to street takeovers in Compton and Willowbrook, the death of a pedestrian during an illegal street race in Pomona, and a high-speed racing crash in West Compton that killed vehicle occupants and injured firefighters responding to the scene.

Local officials say the impacts extend beyond loss of life. Cities report damaged roadways, vandalized business corridors, repeated street closures, and increased public safety costs, along with long-term economic harm in neighborhoods frequently targeted for takeovers.

“At the local level, this issue arrives after tragedy,” said Brenda Olmos, president of the association and vice mayor of Paramount. “Our residents deserve laws and tools that prevent the next tragedy before it happens.”

The association said traditional enforcement alone is not sufficient. Street racing and takeovers are often organized through social media, move quickly across city boundaries, and create safety risks that limit law enforcement response options.

Victims’ advocates also called for prevention-focused strategies.

“Behind every statistic is a person who should still be alive,” said Lili Trujillo-Puckett, founder of Street Racing Kills. “These deaths are foreseeable, and that makes them unacceptable.”

The association is asking the Legislature and the governor to support a statewide framework that includes stronger penalties for repeat offenders and organizers, technology-based prevention tools to identify dangerous driving behavior, and targeted funding for infrastructure improvements such as traffic calming, intersection hardening, and rapid roadway repairs.

“This problem crosses city lines in minutes,” said Gustavo Camacho, the association’s legislative chair and mayor of Pico Rivera. “It demands a statewide solution.”

The California Contract Cities Association said it will continue working with state leaders, public safety agencies, and community advocates to advance measures focused on prevention, accountability, and public safety.