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to Whittier Boulevard, the heart of the historic Eastside. While residents across the county have pleaded with law enforcement agencies to curb the takeovers in their neighborhoods, the LAPD has thrown considerable muscle into policing the 6th Street Viaduct, a massive east-west artery connecting downtown L.A. The $588-million span connecting the Arts District to the Eastside becomes a totem for fissures over transit, policing, housing, equity and land use. One commenter wrote: "ade the task force page, y’all makin this man famous.”Ĭalifornia 6th Street bridge: A civic wonder that reflects L.A.'s promise and its simmering problems The next picture showed a motorcycle officer searching the car before it was impounded.Ī decal on the back of the car displayed the driver’s social media handle. On May 22, the department’s Instagram account posted a photo of a Ford Mustang GT skidding through an intersection. Commenters often chime in about the “buckets” impounded by police or the sport of eluding cruisers, as well as the notoriety that comes from being featured on the police feed. The comments section has taken on its own rowdiness. The outtakes are followed by pictures of those same cars being towed away on the back of a flatbed truck.
#Pixwords scenes fork drivers
The LAPD account shares videos of drivers doing stunts, such as “swinging” - where a driver swerves a car around in tight circles - or losing control of their vehicles and plowing into crowds lining the street. Since 2016, the page has amassed close to 30,000 followers with posts boasting about impounded vehicles and arrests. In an effort to fight fire with fire, the LAPD also has taken to social media, creating the Instagram account, which is run by the department’s Central and South traffic divisions. The Los Angeles city attorney’s office is weighing whether penalties and fines can be made against people who share invites online. The invites often are simple comment threads under posts with vague details, but it’s just enough information for those who participate to know where to meet. The majority of takeovers are organized via social media posts, particularly Instagram. “We’re just trying to make sure we take care of our citizens and make sure that we’ve covered all of our bases when it comes down to trying to address this issue,” Sharif said. And it recently installed small ceramic bumps, called Botts’ dots, at four intersections to deter takeovers.
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For example, she said, the city has added cameras at intersections where takeovers occur frequently. In the aftermath, glistening shards of broken glass sprinkle the roads and black tire marks tattoo the asphalt.Ĭompton Mayor Emma Sharif said street takeovers are a major concern for the city, and she’s committed to working with law enforcement to solve the problem.
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They often sprawl across multiple roads, with hordes of spectators blocking intersections to watch drivers hurtle around - sometimes scattering when vehicles careen into the crowd. The illegal street takeovers, or sideshows, have been a part of urban Southern California culture for years.
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Two cars whipped around the intersection, burning tires and worn-down brake pads sending shrouds of thick smoke into the air.
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About 40 minutes later, the women - who didn’t wish to be identified by their last names - had their answer: East Compton Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue.Ī little after midnight, nearly 200 people blocked the streets in what has become a weekly ritual in the city. She and Dora grabbed some tacos from a stand and waited. Cindy and Dora didn’t know where they were going on a recent Saturday night, but they knew they were headed to a “show.”Īround 11 p.m., Cindy texted a friend in Compton but didn’t immediately hear back.
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