Missouri Highway Patrol Sounds Alarm on Street Takeovers

It's a problem in Missouri that has progressively been getting worse. Groups are holding illegal street takeovers and events that are a danger to everyone involved and the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the issue is now critical.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol just sounded the alarm about how big of a problem street takeovers have become in the state including several pictures of recent incidents.

The problem is much more than just illegal street racing. As the Missouri State Highway Patrol mentioned in their status update, they are now investigating numerous drug crimes and assaults that are a side effect of these illegal street takeovers and events. That's why they are partnering with local Missouri city and county law enforcement to try and stop these incidents before they begin. It was only a month ago when St. Louis, Missouri police announced they had taken down several reckless drivers with spike strips.

Why are these street takeovers becoming so popular in Missouri despite the safety risk?

There is no one central cause, but the popularity of street events began to escalate in the early 2000's when the movie "The Fast and the Furious" became an unexpected hit. While the movie representation is glamorous, the Missouri State Highway Patrol can prove the real world results are not. Shutting this kind of activity down is crucial to avoiding damage to public property and, more importantly, to potentially saving lives.