Police: 'No regard for public safety.' Street takeovers creating dangerous conditions for drivers, spectators and law enforcement

Long Islanders might be excused if they thought a scene from the "Fast & Furious" franchise was being filmed on the streets of Suffolk County last weekend.

At least 200 ATVs, dirt bikes and motorcycles raced at high speeds — with some performing wheelies — down a busy section of Route 347 in Hauppauge near the Smith Haven Mall on Saturday in broad daylight, video of the incident shows.

Known as street takeovers, they're the latest iteration of the underground street racing scene that’s been popular for decades on Long Island’s wide and open roadways and its secluded industrial areas.

While a generation earlier the focus might have been on a pair of "tricked out" sports cars racing each other down Ocean Parkway in the dead of night, the cat-and-mouse game with law enforcement has evolved into meetups that are widely advertised on social media, attracting hundreds of vehicles that paralyze busy roadways, while dozens more look on,watch on cellphones in hand, officials said.

'They're taking over the road'

From stunts that go wrong, injuring spectators or law enforcement, to vehicles that blow through traffic signals and stop signs, police on Long Island said the "takeover" culture has spiraled out of hand.

"They have absolutely no regard for public safety," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said in an interview. "They're not concerned about the people that they're sharing the roadways with. They're performing stunts. They're taking over the road. ... They're very, very dangerous."

Nicholas Mendola, chief of the Hauppauge Fire Department, which responded to last weekend's incident, said unauthorized street takeovers block major roadways and create hazardous driving conditions that put first responders and participants at risk. They also divert critical public safety resources away from emergency incidents elsewhere in the community, he said. 

"Street takeovers are far more than a traffic nuisance," Mendola said in an email. "They create dangerous conditions for motorists, pedestrians, and the participants themselves. More importantly, they have the potential to delay or completely impede emergency responders attempting to reach people in need. Every minute matters when firefighters, police officers, or emergency medical personnel are responding to a fire, medical, emergency, or rescue."

In November 2024, Suffolk County police, sheriff’s deputies and district attorney investigators announced the creation of a Street Takeover Task Force. 

The move came after the arrests of two men charged in a street takeover near Sunrise Highway in Islip that injured a police officer and caused a fiery crash as drivers attempted to flee the scene, police said at the time.

Suffolk lawmakers also passed legislation in late 2024 to allow police to charge organizers and spectators at takeovers, including anyone who makes an invitation to a race, acts as a starter or flag person or is within 200 feet at illegal gatherings "for the purpose of viewing, observing, watching, or witnessing the race, sideshow or street takeover event as it progresses." 

Participants can be charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail or a fine of up to $600, according to the legislation.

The increased resources and legislation, officials said, have made a difference.

Since its inception through July 20, the task force has broken up 122 street takeovers, issued 13,002 summonses, made 105 arrests and impounded 154 vehicles, Suffolk police said.

The Suffolk District Attorney's Office said it has 23 active cases involving illegal street racing, a spokesperson said.

The Nassau County District Attorney's Office said it does not have any prosecutions stemming from street takeovers.

But since the start of 2024, 26 defendants have been charged with illegal street contests and races, a misdemeanor, said Nicole Turso, a spokesperson for the office. Nine of those prosecutions are still pending, she said.

Since the start of 2026,

26

defendants have been charged with illegal street contests and races in Nassau

Blitz of arrests

The enforcement blitz against street takeovers picked up steam in October 2024, when a 19-year-old Holbrook woman was injured while watching a takeover race in Patchogue. A Brooklyn man was charged with felony second-degree assault, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury and other misdemeanor charges.

The next month, a Third Precinct officer, responding to a takeover in Islip, was involved in a crash responding to the scene, striking a pole while attempting to avoid a person in the roadway near Commack Road, police said.

The officer then walked to the front of the crowd, police said, and observed a Ford Mustang driving recklessly. As the officer approached the vehicle, several spectators attacked him from behind, while the driver of the Mustang fled, dragging the officer, authorities said.

Two men, including the driver of the Mustang, were arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident and unlawful speed contests, sideshows and races.

In the months that followed, the task force said it shut down an attempted street takeover in Ronkonkoma and made multiple arrests of drivers attempting to flee from police following takeovers — in one case speeding at 130 mph, with headlights off, on the eastbound Long Island Expressway.

In addition, dozens more were charged with illegal speed contests and had their vehicles impounded for participating in takeover events in Islandia, Port Jefferson, Centereach, Medford,   Brentwood, Selden, Shirley and Melville, records show.

On July 17, just over a week before the Hauppauge takeover, Suffolk police said they seized 12 vehicles, issued 46 tickets and arrested nine people after shutting down an illegal street race event in East Farmingdale.

Eight days later, hundreds of off-road vehicles overtook streets in Hauppauge and Brentwood, leading to the seizure of 10 vehicles and four arrests, including one individual found in possession of a loaded gun, Catalina said.

"It's a huge problem for law enforcement," Catalina said of the takeovers. "We've seen it again and again throughout the country, where we've had officers hurt. We've seen fireworks deployed at them. We've seen gunshots. We've seen fire extinguishers deployed."

Promoted on social media

The racing events, officials said, have become part of the Island’s subculture, as cars are modified with high-performance engines, advanced suspension systems and custom bodies for improved performance and design.

But unlike traditional car meets and shows, where the date, time and location are clearly stated — and permits obtained well in advance — promoters of the takeover events offer few breadcrumbs for police to chase down, officials said.

Often the time and location of a takeover, officials said, are announced on social media or through private online forums only minutes before an event begins, experts said.

Retired NYPD Det. Michael Alcazar said police must be diligent, spotting posts early to anticipate meetup locations.

"It's a cat-and-mouse game," said Alcazar, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "The police also need to communicate and coordinate between precincts. ... These events do not work without spectators filming and hyping up the event. If the police shut down the organizers of the event and the audience, the takeover will lose its fuel."

Alcazar said the takeovers won’t stop until the participants face stiff and impactful consequences.

"Impounding bikes is an effective deterrent. Getting a summons is annoying but losing your ATV; your vehicle is a big deal," he said. "Police need to take away their toys. Participants should be inconvenienced. The punishment must be swift. The more consistent the penalties ... the faster the culture of the event will change."