BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A quiet residential neighborhood usually surrounded by open fields and a local high school has now has several experiences with a new trend.
“There was another commotion like this, I’d say maybe a month ago. And it’s happened some other times over the year as well,” said Mike Szolowitcz. He’s talking about sideshows and takeovers like the one that happened Friday night.
Street takeovers and sideshows have become an ongoing nuisance for law enforcement and residents across the state, including here at home. Szolowitcz said he heard the takeover Friday night while he was in his home in a nearby neighborhood. Along with cheers and tires screeching, he said he heard noises that he couldn’t distinguish between a car backfiring or gunshots.
“They’re very disruptive, and like last night I’d say it lasted around an hour, and it’s hard to sleep, like I wanted to go to sleep and but it was so loud with all the commotion,” he said.
A few blocks away Ted Jimenez said he was alerted to the show when his dog wouldn’t stop barking. He went to his backyard and could see the event from over his fence.
“It was a mess. My dog was going crazy, you could hear the noise all the way to the house going to be like this at least 40 cars,” said Jimenez.
Sideshows or takeovers involve typically dozens to hundreds of drivers and spectators blocking off major intersections in order to showcase stunts or race other dangerous maneuvers.
“You’re talking about people driving thousand pound vehicles and once these vehicles start going in motion,” said California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Scott. “There’s no guarantee that there won’t be a mechanical failure or an operator failure.”
Operations to shut down these events have become high priority for local law enforcement agencies. On Friday, Bakersfield Police, CHP and Kern County Sheriffs all teaming up, arresting 69 people and impounding 37 cars at Old River Road just in front of Independence High School. After the operation, the area near the school was left with trash littering the grounds, broken gates, and tire marks from “donuts” and “burnouts.”
“There’s a tremendous amount of tire tracks in the intersection over here, like people doing donuts and such, but there’s a few other details like a hubcap on the side of the road,” said Szolowitcz.
After hearing about the operation Friday night, local residents said the actions of law enforcement help to put them at ease.
“I’m pleased with it again the law-enforcement response to try to keep our neighborhoods quiet and safe,” Szolowitcz said.
For some though, they suspect these events will continue, they’re hoping that those who involve themselves will come to realize the danger and disruption they’re causing.
“The neighborhood gets a bad reputation, people say oh the police never come here, and it’s not good,” Jimenez said. “Someone’s going to get hurt. The kids are standing alongside cheering him yelling and stuff, one of these days a kids going to lose control of his car and is gonna kill somebody.”
According to the release sent by BPD, this past weekend there were no injuries reported. While many drivers fled the scene, they did not receive any other reports of takeovers of side shows throughout the rest of the evening.
