Even though the summer months are behind us, Connecticut is still dealing with the vexing issue of “street takeovers.” Before I explain how this plague can be minimized, allow me a disclaimer.
At various times during my 30-plus year law enforcement career, I have worked as a local police officer, an FBI special agent and an inspector with the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, having retired 14 years ago.
So yes, the last time I issued an infraction for a motor vehicle violation was way back in 1985. But you know what hasn’t changed a lot in 40 years? Two things: the Connecticut Motor Vehicle statutes and the fact drivers hate to “get a ticket.”
What has changed is the advent of plate readers, electronic citations, spike strips, body cameras, decibel meters and tint meters. All these technological advancements make police officers more efficient, more effective, and safer. And they all play a role in my solution to street takeovers.
The most recent takeover that I wish to address is the one that just took place in North Haven on Dec. 10.
Law enforcement estimated that about 1,500 vehicles took part in the event. This indicates there was nothing spontaneous about this. The other indicator of why this huge turnout was anticipated was because the FBI was on site, as well as the Connecticut State Police.
It was planned well in advance and promoted on various social media platforms. Both the FBI and the CSP have dedicated intelligence analysts who — among other duties — monitor social media platforms such as Tik Tok, Facebook, and Instagram specifically to identify such activity. In addition, every police department worth its salt has a network of informants who pass along insider knowledge of criminal activity. So, the takeover of Dec. 10 should have been no surprise to anyone.
Which leads me to what would have been an effective strategy to deter this in the future. Universal Drive in North Haven is like a miniature Route One that only goes for a few miles end-to-end. It is anchored by the usual selection of national chain stores (BJs, Home Depot, Dick’s, Michaels, Target, etc.) with an additional smattering of smaller shops and stores. What makes it unique is that it can only be accessed at two points: Exit 9 from I-91 and Sackett Point Road. That’s it; everything else is a dead end or a business. Which makes it the perfect setting for a proactive, controlled enforcement action.
A coordinated response from the Connecticut State Police and the North Haven Police Department — along with mutual aid assistance from neighboring towns — was required. Access to and from Universal Drive should have been established with checkpoints adjacent to parking lots. By utilizing marked units, traffic cones and spike strips, traffic should have been funneled past a unit with a plate reader (this alerts the officer in the car of any license plate that is reported lost, stolen, suspended, expired, unregistered, or uninsured, or if the registered owner is wanted or their license is suspended). Then, the vehicle should be viewed by an officer (familiar with current motor vehicle laws) positioned on each side of the car for any obvious equipment violations, specifically illegal exhaust systems, illegal tinting, illegal tires (oversized or unsafe), illegal lighting (multicolored lights, non-compliant lights), or an obscured rear license plate (plate in back window, plate with smoked out cover, etc.). These laws likely apply to many of the vehicles that turn up at street takeovers.
The offending vehicles would then be directed to the adjacent parking lot, where teams of officers are waiting and have access to decibel meters and tint meters. This is where the tickets would be issued and where tow trucks would be stationed (for those vehicles that are unregistered or unsafe to drive). Culling the violating vehicles from the legal motorists would keep traffic moving and prevent long delays.
Someone is going to say, “You know how much of a backup that would cause?!” My answer: not as much as you think. The way it was handled on Dec. 10 sounds like it inconvenienced a lot of holiday shoppers unnecessarily. And that’s because 1,500 knuckleheads showed up. If my proposal had been in place, the first 100 buffoons who showed up would have immediately put out a flurry of posts and texts warning their buddies to avoid the area, as cars were being ticketed and towed in droves.
Someone is going to say, “You are profiling certain people that way!” My answer is you can’t profile an inanimate object. Cars aren’t categorized by race, ethnicity, or gender. Vehicles are either in compliance with traffic laws or they are not.
Someone is going to say, “You want to restrict free movement?” My answer: when the need demands it. Remember, driving is a privilege, not a right. The other option is to watch a suburban shopping destination turned into tryouts for the Fast and Furious franchise. When there are no consequences, there is no deterrence. Let’s not forget Einstein’s definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Greg Dillon was a 30-year career law enforcement officer and is the author of The Thin Blue Lie: An Honest Cop vs. The FBI.