Long Island Lawmakers Propose Making It Illegal For Spectators To Watch Street Takeovers

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — In the latest legislation introduced to crack down on the recent street racing phenomenon, Suffolk lawmakers propose making it illegal for spectators to gather and watch at the events.

The new legislation targeting the takeovers was announced Monday at the Legislature in Hauppauge.

In three incidents on the same morning back in October, a woman watching the event was injured, and the driver of a vehicle was arrested in Patchogue, and vehicles blocked traffic in Shirley and Sound Beach in street takeovers, Suffolk police said.

An emergency vehicle was also blocked in Miller Place the same morning, according to officials.

The county created a task force in November targeting the events, and state legislation is proposed to make it a felony to block an emergency vehicle.

"Public safety is the first obligation of every government, and we're stepping up to the plate to address a problem before it gets out of hand," County Executive Ed Romaine said at a news conference on Tuesday.

He said it is essential that county officials keep the county safe for residents.

Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said that what is unique about the legislation is "the resolve of Suffolk to get in front of this issue, to deal with it, the craft legislation that makes law enforcement's job much easier in dealing with this issue."

Chief Assistant District Attorney Allen Bode said "spectators will no longer be able to gather in crowds, blocking traffic, and encouraging this dangerous behavior without any consequence to themselves."

The task force has already been a success, as they stopped several meetups from happening and issued more than 1,000 summonses, and impounded multiple vehicles.

"Let this serve as a warning…being a spectator during an illegal street takeover in Suffolk County is going to have legal consequences," police officials wrote on Facebook.

There is a history of street takeovers in Suffolk.

Three people were charged with illegally operating ATVs back in November 2021 after a mob of 50 to 100 bikers and ATV riders crowded Sound Avenue in Wading River and two crashes followed in Ridge and Rocky Point, police said.

In February 2022, the passenger of a car was punched in a fight with an ATV rider who was part of a pack blocking traffic in Medford, according to police.

The pack of riders blocked traffic at Woodside Avenue, near Route 112, just before 4 p.m. on Feb. 12, said police, adding that a male passenger in a 2020 Jeep left the vehicle and got into a fight with one of the riders and the rider punched him.

The following month, in March, then Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison announced a five-point plan to crack down on ATVs, as well as plans to enact a Crime Stoppers Fast Cash Reward for information leading to the impounding of an ATV or dirt bike.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest in the takeovers. If you have information, call 1-800-220 TIPS, a confidential police hotline.