Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city is taking a zero-tolerance approach to illegal street racing and street takeovers after a major enforcement operation early today in South Los Angeles. She described the activity as inherently dangerous to drivers, spectators and innocent bystanders, and said prevention and enforcement will remain the city’s priority.
The operation took place around 3:20 a.m. at Figueroa Street and Alondra Boulevard near the Harbor Gateway area, where video showed dozens of officers surrounding a large crowd and controlling people caught between vehicles. According to the mayor’s office, more than 65 people were arrested, along with hundreds of citations issued and vehicles impounded in a coordinated effort led by the LAPD Street Racing Task Force.
The operation also included the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The crackdown comes as illegal meetups have drawn growing concern across Los Angeles County in recent years, with reports that some events have increased in recent weeks and, in some cases, led to robberies at nearby businesses.
Until recently, authorities often arrived after participants had already scattered, limiting arrests. The sheriff’s department also formed its own Street Racing Task Force last month under its Detective Division, saying it would hold organizers and participants accountable through arrests, vehicle impounds and criminal prosecution.
