Several people of interest have been identified in connection to "street takeovers" in Cleveland over the weekend, according to Cleveland police.
Representatives from the city police department, including Police Chief Annie Todd, were at city council Wednesday to update the safety committee as members urged for more action after nearly 20 roadways were the sites of the takeovers late Saturday.
Street takeovers, also called sideshows, siding, hooning and exhibition driving, are stunt driving events on public roads. Often planned in advance on social media, they frequently involve souped-up or muscle cars doing doughnuts in intersections for crowds of people. Often drivers, bystanders and passengers, who shoot video and take pictures, take over the street for some time.
That's what happened on Interstate 90 westbound on the Innerbelt Bridge early Sunday morning where people did car stunts, set off fireworks and fired airsoft guns at people, according to police.
Some members of council expressed frustration at police response to the takeovers that also shut down streets around Cleveland to perform tricks, including at West 25th Street and Lorain; East 185th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and at East 55th Street and Woodland Avenue.
"I do understand that the men and women of the Cleveland Division of Police and all the safety forces have a challenging job; However, our citizens deserve better," said Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin, during the committee meeting.
A lot of police work is happening behind the scenes to prevent these disturbances, said Todd, who underscored that the work isn't what it appears to be on TV. Officers are pulling the vehicle information and using all the information and technology available to them as part of this investigation, she said.
Ward 8 Councilmember Mike Polensek, who represents Collinwood and part of Glenville, said he wants a tough approach to street takeovers.
"We want the law laid down in the city of Cleveland because if not, then what it is, it's a blank check to do whatever you want," he said.
Officers are doing their best to enforce the applicable laws while following departmental policies, according to Todd.
"Our members are faced with life and death situations that they are required to balance with laws are being broken, what actions can they legally take and what policy is in place for them to follow," she said.
Griffin said council members are receiving calls "every single day" about street takeovers in the city.
"I don't think we are arresting enough people and keeping people accountable," he said, adding he's concerned residents will take matters into their own hands if the street takeovers continue.
"People are armed to the hilt, and people are getting to the point where they don't feel that we, and I say 'we' because I take my job seriously, are doing enough to protect them," he said.
Street takeovers are not new. They occurred at least 25 years ago in Oakland, California, according to reporting from over the summer by NPR. They became more common in many areas including Cleveland during the pandemic, when some included large numbers of ATV riders.
A state law will take effect in October that specifically bans takeovers and attaches criminal penalties to them and to stunt driving in general.
