Dangerous so-called “sideshows” are adding to the rampant crime plaguing residents in Oakland, California.
Although the Oakland Police Department has endured budget cuts, the agency has continued working to try and stop the incidents where participants take over roadways to perform extreme stunts with their cars, the New York Post reported Thursday.
The outlet said drivers will accelerate to approximately 50 miles per hour, then let the car spin out as large crowds watch.
Resident Cheral Stewart told the Post, “Then they start skidding their cars, drifting and doing donuts, one driver after the other. Take photos of the license plates and people will pull guns on you.”
Aerial video footage shows a car spinning out at an Oakland intersection as someone wearing a blue hoodie appears to get dangerously close while filming the show. At one point, the car hits the individual, but the person quickly gets up off the ground:
Stewart added, “Drivers wear bandannas or ski masks or COVID masks. Some of the windshields are illegally tinted. They shoot guns into the sky. Any activity goes. It’s like ‘Fast & Furious’ has come to our neighborhood.”
An Oakland man was attacked when he confronted bystanders at a sideshow, KTVU reported in May:
While police have not been able to do much because there are not enough officers to take control, some residents have reportedly used heavy cables to block cul de sacs overnight along with other methods in order to stave off the activity.
KPIX reported in May that Oakland brought in extra officers to help crack down on the problem, but it was still happening. The outlet’s video showed a car that had been lit on fire being rammed by another vehicle:
The Post also spoke with Seneca Scott, who made a failed bid for Oakland mayor in 2022. According to him, the city has no rule of law.
“Cops are handcuffed and can’t do enforcement. Cities with permissive policies are targeted by people who do street takeovers. Liberal is not the word for what is allowed to go on here. It’s a city run by zealots. It’s disgusting and a safety issue,” Scott noted.
In May, hundreds of Oakland neighbors demanded that city leaders take action regarding the crime plague during a community safety meeting, and one resident said they are “victims of a failed progressive utopia.”