In what is considered to be one of the nation’s toughest ordinances against Street Takeovers, last month the Pico Rivera City Council introduced an ordinance with stiff penalties in order to keep Street Takeovers from occurring within City limits. Street Takeovers are prevalent throughout the region and have occurred here in the City.
Street Takeovers are more than just car meetups; they are dangerous crowd-gathering spectacles where individuals perform reckless vehicle maneuvers on public intersections, often causing damage to local streets and property and causing injury to unsuspecting spectators who get too close to the vehicles.
During a City Council meeting in February, City staff was directed by the Council to bring an ordinance relating to Street Takeovers and to explore enforcement options for those participating in them, including spectators. A first reading of the ordinance was passed during a City Council meeting in May.
The new ordinance will include fines and penalties for participating drivers and their vehicles. Drivers will be subject to a $2000 fine, and their vehicles may be forfeited after a subsequent arrest during a Takeover. Spectators who are knowingly near the vicinity of a Takeover setup or are within 500 feet of a Takeover event will be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of $2000.
“This new ordinance provides us with the administrative tools to seek restitution for damaged City property and or streets and to recover additional costs as it relates to these types of incidents in the City,” said City Manager Steve Carmona. “Our primary concern is the safety and quality of life of our residents, these types of illegal Street Takeover events are a danger, and we are determined to put an end to these events in the City.”
The penalties in this new ordinance are not exclusive, and they will supplement any other regulatory codes, statutes, and ordinances enacted by the City, under the State’s Vehicle Code, or any other legal entity having jurisdiction, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or the California Highway Patrol.
A second reading of the ordinance is expected to take place at a future City Council meeting.
