4 May 16-22, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | news | letters | coNteNts | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ TALLAHASSEE ROAD WORRIERS FLORIDA AIMS TO TAKE DOWN STREET TAKEOVERS WITH NEW PENALTIES. BY IZZY KAPNICK I llegal racing, stunt driving, and street take- overs have become so common in South Florida that the shock factor has dimin- ished even as gearheads invade busy intersec- tions to set fire to the street and do doughnuts around the flames. One street takeover early this year shut down a road section around Biscayne Boule- vard in the heart of downtown Miami. The fol- lowing month, several teens were arrested for taking part in a stunt-driving gathering in west Miami that featured fireworks and a guy hang- ing out the window of a car while it whipped around in circles at Northwest 20th Street. This week, near Tampa, an “illegal street racing event that resembled a military offen- sive” was shut down by police around 1 a.m. on May 5, according to a Miami Herald report. The list goes on. Lest anyone resign themselves to waiting in traffic for amateur stunt drivers to parlay their near-death experiences into TikTok content, Florida will soon harden penalties for street takeovers, unlicensed racing, and stunt driving in the Sunshine State. On May 7, Gov. Ron De- Santis signed a bill, SB 1764, to tighten the reg- ulations with a July 1 implementation date. The law cranks up maximum fines for first- time offenses from $1,000 to $2,000. For a sec- ond offense within a year of the first, the statute establishes a third-degree felony charge and a fine between $2,500 and $4,000. (The old ver- sion of the law had a misdemeanor in place for a second offense within five years of the first.) Perhaps the most dramatic change comes in a new section of the law that creates a third-degree felony charge and a $2,500 to $4,000 fine for first-time violators if they drive in a “coordinated street takeover,” de- fined as one that involves ten or more vehi- cles operating in an “organized manner.” The law also provides for a $400 fine against spectators of street takeovers and pro- hibited races. Additional penalties are out- lined for those who, in the process of participating in a street takeover, obstruct emergency vehicles responding to other calls. “They are creating an incredibly danger- ous environment, the worst of which is when they take over an entire intersection,” Holly- wood-based Florida Sen. Jason Pizzo, who co-introduced the bill, said in March. “Ambu- lances, fire, and police cannot get to the cen- ter of the intersection.” The Florida legislature passed SB 1764 on March 6. The bill expanded on a Chapter 316 statute enacted in 2022 to curb illegal racing and stunt driving. Many street takeovers are organized and promoted on social media. Typically, a swarm of cars will descend on an intersection and block traffic, allowing a crowd to congregate as stunt drivers swirl around in the center. Fireworks and fires set using flammable liq- uid on the roadway are often used to add vi- sual flair while onlookers record the scene for social media content. WSVN reported that police have been cracking down in recent years with limited success. Whereas the state recorded roughly 850 street racing and stunt driving citations in 2019, officers issued more than 2,400 of those citations in 2023, the outlet reported. If the new, stricter penalties serve as a deterrent to street takeovers, South Florida may be the first to notice. Broward and Miami-Dade counties accounted for nearly half of the more than 6,600 citations issued for street racing, stunt driving, and related citations between 2018 and 2022, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the primary demographic for drivers and spectators for street takeovers ranged from ages 16 to 29, DHSMV data showed. The Broward Sheriff’s Office says that when its deputies tried to shut down a street takeover in the Pompano Beach area last month, 22-year-old driver Kenroy Jackson fled the scene and fatally struck bicyclist Eric Gray while trying to escape. Jackson is facing charges of fleeing, aggravated battery on law enforcement, and reckless driving causing death, among other charges. | RIPTIDE | GET MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY AT MIAMINEWTIMES.COM/NEWS A series of street takeovers took place in Miami-Dade County leading up to New Year’s Day 2024. NBC6 screenshot via YouTube ▼ MIAMI BEACH COPPIN’ LUXURY MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT UNVEILS ROLLS-ROYCE CRUISER. BY NAOMI FEINSTEIN I magine you are driving on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, and all of a sudden you hear a siren and see police lights in your rearview mirror. You pull over to the side of the road, and the officer orders you out of your car after finding you forgot to renew your driver’s license. It’s not long before you realize you are not getting in the back of a typical police cruiser. You’re being detained in the luxurious confines of the Miami Beach Police Department’s new Rolls- Royce. This is called getting arrested in style. In collaboration with car dealership Braman Motors, the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) unveiled its new Rolls-Royce on Thurs- day, May 9, to beef up the department’s recruit- ment efforts. MBPD says it will serve as a promotional vehicle for the department’s re- cruitment team. “This vehicle represents our commitment to innovation and our dedication to recruiting the best and brightest individuals to serve our com- munity,” Chief Wayne Jones said in a press re- lease. While comments are pouring in accusing the department of wasting taxpayer dollars, public information officer Christopher Bess tells New Times that Braman owns the vehicle, and the dealership “sponsored all costs associated with this project in accordance with the [City of Miami Beach] policy.” “This vehicle is the property of Braman Mo- tors,” Bess says in an email. “It was not pur- chased or donated. Permission to use MBPD’s classic black and white patrol vehicle design was granted.” Some social media users were taken aback by the new vehicle. “Why do we need a RR police car if with the normal police cars, they (some) don’t do their job,” one Instagram user commented. Another user claimed, “This is exactly how you make the Miami Beach Police Department the laughingstock of every department in the United States. Others were quick to point that the new po- lice vehicle is so Miami. “This is like a South Park episode, but in fact, this is indeed real life,” a comment reads. While the new vehicle adds some luxury to MBPD’s collection of vehicles, the department still does not hold a candle to cops in Dubai. The Dubai Police Force made headlines in years past for the acquisition of a Rolls-Royce Wraith, McLaren 720S, and Audi R8, among other high- end vehicles, as part of its self-described mission to “connect with the public.” [email protected] Braman Motors provided a Rolls-Royce for use in the Miami Beach Police Department’s recruiting division. Screenshots via @miamibeachpd / Instagram
