Street takeovers are dangerous scenarios, when crowds block Connecticut roadways, then engage in what police are calling “riot-like” activities.
They are becoming more common, with a string of incidents this month.
There have been at least six street takeovers recently, four of those this month alone. State police say typically 20 cars and up to 500 people will block a road. The gatherings are also tied to racing.
“They are doing donuts in parking lots, disrupting traffic, closing down intersections,” Connecticut State Police Sgt. Christine Jeltema said. “They get back up on the highway and they're traveling well over 100 miles an hour, up to 150 miles per hour.”
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This busy Memorial Day weekend, State Police got a tip that street racers were congregating in the Interstate 84 West tunnel in downtown Hartford early Sunday morning trying to block the highway.
Video taken by Bristol police shows drivers doing donuts and street racing earlier this month.
In Meriden, on May 6, police dashcam video shows a large crowd swarming a police cruiser. Some even jumped on the hood of the cruiser, causing $2,000 worth of damage.
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There was similar scene in Tolland on May 21. One couple, Dennis and Stephanie, did not want to show their faces, but told NBC Connecticut they think their car was totaled after they got stuck in a takeover.
“It doesn’t matter what town you are in, you need to be careful,” Stephanie said. “They were jumping on top of the car, kicking it. I was asking them to stop.”
From the takeovers this month, a total of three suspects have been arrested: one tied to the Tolland incident and two to the Meriden incident.
“These situations are extremely dangerous. We know these individuals have been known to be volatile and violent when it comes to law enforcement or other individuals trying to intervene,” Jeltema said.
It is why state police advise Connecticut drivers that come across a street takeover to find another route.
“Stop, turn around, go a different direction,” Jeltema said. “Do not approach them. Do not get out of your vehicle to try and intervene.”
For months, state troopers have been going undercover and collaborating with the FBI, trying to identify ringleaders.
Jeltema says there has been an uptick in incidents since March, coinciding with warmer months and the end of pandemic lockdowns.
However, she says these takeovers have been happening since at least 2020, and they have led to serious injuries.
“Back in 2020, there was a homicide at the Manchester commuter parking lot. That was part of the street takeovers,” Jeltema said. “Back in November of 2022, we had a state trooper who was struck, trying to stop a vehicle of one of these individuals. Almost a year ago in June, down in New Haven, there was a triple shooting that involves some street takeover individuals.”
The concern now is that the swelling crowds of spectators are largely made up of teens.
“We know they're high school-aged kids, which could be very detrimental to these young children, who have a full life ahead of them,” Jeltema said.
It’s a situation that not only makes it more challenge for police to respond. At an already dangerous scene, it also raises the stakes.
“The reckless behavior, there is the potential that there could be catastrophic, mass casualties from what they're doing out there,” Jeltema said.
State police want the public’s help. They ask people with information to call a statewide tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The FBI also has set up a website: FBI.gov/CTTakeOverTips. There, people can upload videos and photos of street takeovers to help out police.
