Street Takeover Task Force to crack down on organized events in Texas

Austin, Texas – A night of chaos in Austin, with four streets taking over from 9pm to 4am, is now getting the attention of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

In a statement Thursday, Abbott announced a statewide task force to end the fight against the problem as takeovers become more frequent and violent.

There have also been several cases in North Texas, including Grapevine and Euless.

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“These street takeovers endanger the lives of Texans and Texas law enforcement officials,” DPS Director Stephen McCraw said in a statement. “We see fireworks firing at officers in the crowd, lasers aimed at aircraft, drivers moving at over 130 miles per hour with no lights on in the dark of the night – all of this is reckless and needs to be stopped.”

“You have so many law enforcement agencies that don’t have the manpower to counter this,” said Dr. Alex del Carmen, a criminologist at Tarleton State University in Fort Worth.

Del Carmen says many cities need Texas DPS help to show riders they can’t take over city streets anymore.

“The psychology is there when they feel like they’ve taken over a part of the city where the laws don’t apply, the rules don’t apply,” del Carmen said.

On Tuesday, Austin’s police chief explained how the city struggled from Saturday evening through Sunday morning, dispersing riders who simply moved elsewhere.

“If the Austin Police Department, one of the largest departments in the state, is overwhelmed, imagine what happens in a rural area where you have 2-3 police officers,” said del Carmen.

For years, Dallas has struggled with similar street takeovers, but in 2020, the city passed an ordinance making it illegal to be a spectator at the races.

DPD says its numbers show the impact of the department’s crackdown.

In 2021, 831 spectators were arrested, and in 2022 their number dropped sharply to 112.

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Calls for street racing have dropped nearly 50%, from over 8,800 calls in 2021 to about 4,700 calls in 2022.

“We are a nation of laws, as George Washington said, and it’s time to remind people that we must all adhere to the legal system,” del Carmen said.

The governor’s office said the task force would focus on the “organized crime aspect” of the street takeover. State military personnel will also file felony charges related to crimes that will result in jail time.

DPS is asking the public to report any potential street occupancy through the iWatchTexas website and app or by calling 844-643-2251.

If you see a street grab in progress, they ask you to call 911 immediately.