Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced a new street takeover task force that will seek to stop the recent increase in the activity.
A street takeover occurs when groups coordinate to illegally occupy a roadway or intersection, either blocking it with vehicles or through sheer numbers.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will work “to address the recent street takeovers in several communities that have become increasingly violent and more frequent,” according to the press release.
Gov. Abbott asserted the need for public safety, suggesting, “Despite the foolish attempts by some local officials to defund and demoralize our brave law enforcement officers, Texas is and remains a law-and-order state.”
He continued, “We must send a clear message that these reckless, coordinated criminal events will not be tolerated in Texas. This statewide task force will work closely with local officials and law enforcement to investigate, prosecute, and prevent these dangerous street takeovers.”
“Working together, we can ensure Texans in communities large and small remain safe,” the governor concluded.
DPS Director Steven McCraw echoed Abbott’s sentiments.
“These street takeovers put the lives of Texans and Texas law enforcement officers at risk,” McCraw claimed.
“We are seeing fireworks fired at officers in crowds, lasers pointed at aircraft, drivers driving upwards of 130 miles per hour with no lights on in the dark of night—all of it is reckless, and it needs to be stopped,” he added.
This announcement comes shortly after a high-profile incident in Austin, where a street takeover by several local car clubs left a police officer hurt and damaged several police vehicles.
Law enforcement groups blamed Austin’s local government for the incident, claiming that a long-standing lack of support has incubated unsafe conditions.
“The incident that occurred on Saturday is a direct result of the Austin City Council’s disrespect and bad faith attempt at establishing a path forward for public safety in Austin, Texas,” a representative from the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas told Fox News.
“Officers and citizens were placed in a very dangerous situation, but we are left asking ourselves what would have happened if there had been enough officers to enforce the law,” the spokesperson concluded.
Several people have been arrested for their alleged participation in the Austin takeover, including Dallas-based Jerry Antonio Gore, who has been charged with evading arrest and firearm theft.
Street takeovers have become increasingly common over the past several years, according to a review conducted by KXAN, partially due to the lack of street traffic caused by the government shutdowns during the COVID pandemic.
Recently, the Grapevine Police Department arrested a local man for allegedly organizing a series of intersection takeovers in the area, ABC 8 reported.
The Dallas Express reached out to Dallas Police Department to ask whether the city has seen an increase in street takeovers or racing but did not immediately receive a response.