LAPD Keeps Its Word, Makes 40 Arrests and Impounds 34 Cars in Street Takeover Sting

Image: Los Angeles Police Department

Just a few days after announcing the consequences of participating in street takeovers, the LAPD has come and did exactly what it said it was going to do. KTLA reports that the department took part in a street takeover crackdown that resulted in numerous citations, arrests, and vehicle impounds.

A lot of southern California cities are fed up with street takeovers. From neighborhoods to local freeways, the stupid and often dangerous activity has seemed to have gotten worse as the year goes on. Cities are thinking of different ways to stop the takeovers from happening. But Los Angeles officials are fed up. On August 18th, LAPD Detective Ryan Moreno held a press conference saying that the department had a zero-tolerance policy for takeovers.

“Cars will start disappearing really soon,” he was quoted as saying. And it appears he actually meant soon soon, not sooner or later.

Image: Los Angeles Police Department

In a two-day operation over the weekend of August 19 to 21st, the LAPD sent a message to anyone that’s still thinking about going to these takeovers: They will come for you. It started with an attempted takeover in West L.A at the interaction of Sawtelle and National boulevards. Hundreds of people had already gathered in anticipation for the shenanigans to begin. Instead, the LAPD showed up and stopped the takeover before it got started.

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Over the next two days, the department showed up at events and caught some of the individuals there — at least, those who couldn’t get away in time. The resulting operation netted 40 arrests, 82 citations, and 34 vehicle impounds. The department says “numerous” other takeovers were thwarted before they could begin.

Idiots in cars weren’t the only thing authorities found. One person that was apprehended had a ghost gun on them, which is a gun whose serial number has been taken off so it can’t be traced. Another person had a warrant out for their arrest for murder.

The department issued a message on social media about the success of the operation saying it sends a message: “The collaborative efforts by everyone involved made an impact and sent a message – we will not condone this illegal and often deadly behavior.”