I am still an odd one to be writing about the state of America's urban areas. If you've been reading my work for more than the last six minutes, I grew up in a rural setting in Iowa. I'm a happy rural dweller myself these days, and have little time for cities, despite having lived in them for four decades. I find them unpleasant; crowded, noisy, and, to be honest, they smell bad. I like the clean country air of the Susitna Valley, and if that means I have to put up with the long, dark, cold (but beautiful) winters, that's fine.
With that being true, why am I still worried about America's cities? Because our cities are the beating hearts of our nation. Much of the country's economic activity happens there. Urban areas contain a lot of the country's industry and academia. What's more, our cities used to be the pride of the nation, but that's not so much the case anymore. Rampant open-air drug use, huge homeless encampments, and rampant crime are taking their toll.
Case in point: Street takeovers by gangs of thugs. These things are organized, they are planned, and they have to be stopped. But too many of our cities seem unable to deal with the problem.
An expert in crime prevention and reduction told Fox News Digital that the recent rash of urban organized street takeovers leaves residents in fear, and feeling like authorities don't have control over the streets they are supposed to protect.
"Whether you're having dinner or studying or getting ready to go to bed, they're loud. They're disorganized. They're not good for the neighborhood or the city," said John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor Peter Moskos. "And it also gives the perception, rooted in reality in this case, that nobody's in control."
Over the past few weeks, there have been at least nine such high-profile incidents across the country.
Nine. Nine such incidents, in the "past few weeks" - the time frame is unclear, but we can assume the worst. Note that every one of these incidents was planned and organized, meaning there were planners and organizers; ringleaders, in fact. These people are arguably participating in a conspiracy to commit a crime, to obstruct a public thoroughfare, to create a tumult, to interfere with lawful citizens who want nothing more than to go about their daily business. And there's more to it than just blocking the streets and pulling stupid, dangerous stunts with their cars:
They're dangerous to the public. They're dangerous to participants," he said. "But there's also the quality-of-life factors that if you live near where this is happening repeatedly, you just simply don't want it happening."
On Aug. 9, around 50 vehicles wreaked havoc outside the Crypto.com Arena, home of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, doing donuts and burnouts while onlookers set off fireworks and shot paintball guns at vehicles, according to KTLA.
Two people also reportedly broke into a storefront and looted merchandise during the event.
Stemming from a recent street takeover in Carson, California, part of Los Angeles County, authorities reportedly arrested 64 spectators and towed 25 vehicles. Two vehicles were impounded for 30 days and eight traffic citations were issued.
Traffic citations - so, in effect, a ticket, and in a month, they presumably get their cars back. Those seem awfully light consequences for taking part in a criminal conspiracy.
Here are a few recent incidents mentioned in the linked article:
- August 13, Tampa, Florida, over 200 bikers took over the streets, swerving in and out of traffic and racing through intersections.
- August 16, Seaside, California, "hundreds of cars" took over parking lots belonging to Home Depot, In-N-Out, and Target.
- August 16, Charlotte, North Carolina, 98 people arrested for numerous street takeovers in the city, and "numerous" vehicles seized.
- August 18, Dallas, Texas, a street takeover by a "large group of motorcycles, dirt bikes and off-road vehicles" blocked travel in both directions, pulling stunts. 30 citations - tickets - were issued, 12 vehicles confiscated.
Here are a couple of more, shall we say, visual examples.
Yet another successful "street takeover" in California.
— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) March 11, 2025
Once again, a man ends up with his pants around his ankles on the pavement. It seems to be a trend.... #CityLife #darwin #IQtest #fail #urban #democrats #streettakeover #crime #decay #darwinism pic.twitter.com/SwmxsnfHIZ
Another successful "street takeover" 😎
— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) November 27, 2024
This level of Darwinism may be the only way to save our cities at this point...#CityLife #StreetTakeover #darwin #mopar #strike #FAFO #urban #democrats pic.twitter.com/LsqCuX2H2a
As I find myself saying so often when talking about our major cities, this cannot be allowed to go on. The question is, has it already gone too far? These takeovers involve hundreds of people. The key, I think, is to go after the organizers.
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These events must be treated as what they are: criminal conspiracies. They are almost certainly organized and promoted through the internet and cellular phone networks. If necessary, federal assistance should be provided to do the computer forensics, that is, if any of these mostly blue city jurisdictions will accept any federal help. The ringleaders should be charged with conspiracy, and if found guilty, imprisoned. Participants, it seems, should be charged as appropriate: reckless endangerment, theft, vandalism. Only when the people who participate in these takeovers, and most especially the leaders, start facing serious consequences, will all this end.
And once again, the only legitimate purpose of government is to protect the liberty and property of the people. Until these street takeovers are stopped, the various municipal governments will, again, be failing to meet that purpose.
