Sideshows Thinning Law Enforcement Resources Around Sacramento
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — There's a growing concern over the dangers of street sideshows in the Sacramento region. The most recent example happened this weekend with up to 200 people participating in multiple locations.
Multiple agencies responded to the sideshows, thinning out resources through the area.
A car burning rubber in circles with a crowd of people standing close by is a danger the California Highway Patrol is trying to prevent.
"You see them doing donuts in the street and they're coming so close to people. I don't know how they're not comprehending the dangers associated with what they're doing and what kind of catastrophic injuries can be caused in this type of situation," said CHP officer Mike Harris.
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Video shot by a CHP helicopter shows just how close cars are getting to the crowd. If you look closely, the infrared camera actually shows the white-hot heat from the squealing tires.
The incident last weekend moved from North Highlands to Del Paso Heights and Natomas, tying up all of the CHP's local units and requiring extra officers to respond.
There were several arrests, citations, and impounded vehicles along with one crash.
"We're not solving any problems if they're just going somewhere else to do it," Harris said.
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These large-scale sideshows are a continuing problem for officers. In some cases groups of cars take over a freeway, completely shutting down traffic.
The District Attorney's office recently dedicated an attorney to these types of cases to help streamline the prosecution process.
"It puts so many people's lives in danger that it's just something that's not going to be tolerated," Harris said.
In this case, officers say the majority of the participants came from outside of Sacramento. The participants use social media to easily meet up with groups and change locations.
