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Cars impounded from LA street takeover released
LAPD is sending a strong message to parents of teens and young adults involved in illegal street takeovers. This comes after 200 vehicles in South LA were impounded last month during Operation Street Sweeper.
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Police Department is sending a clear message to the parents of teens and young adults participating in illegal street takeovers.
The message follows LAPD’s "Operation Street Sweeper" in September, during which officers arrested more than 60 people and impounded 200 vehicles in South Los Angeles.
What we know:
On Monday, dozens of drivers and vehicle owners converged on the LAPD South Traffic Division to show proper documentation and paperwork and regain access to cars subject to mandatory 30-day impound holds.
For many, retrieving their vehicles proved to be a painful and expensive ordeal.
"Horrible experience, horrible day, bad," said Jose, a driver whose car was impounded last month. "It's like around $2,800," he said. "And if I don't pick it up by now, it's going to keep adding up."
What they're saying:
The crackdown is also serving as an eye-opener for parents. One father described searching almost three weeks to find his missing vehicle after letting his son borrow it for what he believed was a party.
"I hope this is a lesson," the parent said. "I told the LAPD you guys should keep doing this because that might be the only way they are going to stop this damn thing. I am in support of what they did. I am 100 percent support because that's not right what the kids are doing."
Police stress that parental involvement is critical to curbing street takeovers and street racing.
"I think the message here is, these parents didn't know where their kids were, and we need parents to know where their kids are," said LAPD South Bureau Commander Elaine Morales. "It’s very, very dangerous and it’s been a nuisance to community members."
Prior street takeovers
Dig deeper:
Several street takeovers across Los Angeles have been reported over the last few month, some of which have led to break-ins and burglaries at local businesses, including an AutoZone in South Los Angeles.
Between arrests and steep fees and mandatory 30-day holds, LAPD hopes to deter reckless drivers before they take the wheel.
"I regret it because I don't have my car no more," another driver told FOX 11 Monday. "Now I have to come out here and pay for it."
The Source: Information for this story came from the Los Angeles Police Department and people FOX 11 interviewed who were picking up their impounded cars.