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NYC lawmaker wants dedicated NYPD units to combat chaotic car meetups
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 15, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
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NYPD
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 15, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
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A Queens lawmaker wants to require the NYPD to maintain dedicated units to combat street takeovers after a series of dangerous gatherings on New York City streets this year.
Street takeovers generally involve groups of drivers and spectators occupying streets or intersections, often while drivers perform stunts such as donuts, in which drivers spin their cars in tight circles. Videos posted to social media frequently document the gatherings.
Councilmember Phil Wong’s proposal would require the NYPD to maintain a street-takeover enforcement unit and a separate unit to monitor publicly available information about planned gatherings. The NYPD, however, says it already deploys dedicated weekend teams in every borough and uses officers from across the department to track and respond to the events.
But some episodes of violence have led lawmakers to push for a more robust response.
Werling Mendez, 18, was fatally shot and two other people were wounded during a large car meetup on East 233rd Street in the Bronx on Aug. 23, police said. In April, roughly 50 vehicles and more than 100 people blocked a Maspeth intersection where drivers performed donuts around a ring of fire and two people cracked the windshield of a marked police cruiser, according to a criminal complaint.
The NYPD described its current strategy to combat street takeovers as “aggressive.” The department holds weekly meetings involving patrol, intelligence, aviation, highway and other units to prepare for potential weekend gatherings and distributes a citywide plan in advance. Police said they monitor social media and historical data and share information in real time when meetups are underway.
Racing against the clock
Wong said the speed with which organizers can move the gatherings makes them difficult for police to stop.
“It usually happens the same day when the notice is sent out,” Wong said. “By the time they get there, quite often they are somewhere else, so they’re long gone.”
A Gothamist review of Instagram posts from dozens of events shows how organizers coordinate the gatherings. They assign roles to participants, including hosts who run the events and blockers tasked with keeping officers away. The chats also update event locations in real time as police respond.
City Councilmember Oswald Feliz, who chairs the public safety committee considering the legislation, has questioned whether the city’s current approach is sufficient.
“This issue is not new, but the use of social media has made it worse,” Feliz said in a statement. “These takeovers can quickly become dangerous and the recent incidents show we clearly don't have the strategies in place to handle them effectively.”
Wong’s bill would require the NYPD to maintain a street-takeover unit responsible for removing vehicles involved in illegal takeovers and a separate surveillance unit to monitor publicly available information about when and where takeovers may occur. Within 30 days of each deployment, the department would have to report to the mayor and City Council on tickets, tows, arrests and the tactics officers used.
‘Two steps ahead’
Wong said New York City should look at how other jurisdictions respond to takeovers.
“If it works, bring it over and adopt it in NYPD,” he said.
Suffolk County, for example, created a dedicated street-takeover task force in November 2024 after confronting similar gatherings on Long Island. Suffolk County police said their task force has since broken up 131 takeovers, issued 14,146 summonses, made 127 arrests and impounded 169 vehicles as of Sept. 14.
A county law passed in 2024 makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly remain within 200 feet of a street takeover as a spectator in Suffolk, punishable by up to six months in jail.
Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said spectators can make the gatherings harder to police.
“We have dozens at times, spectators actively blocking the streets,” Catalina said. That prevents officers from reaching drivers, he added.
Before the task force existed, he said patrol officers had to chase gatherings.
“We moved them from spot to spot to spot until they found a spot where they could kind of exploit us through numbers, and then we had a disaster.”
Investigators now develop informants and gain access to chat groups where events are organized.
“We really stay two steps ahead of them,” Catalina said, but declined to weigh in on what approach the NYPD should take.
Wong’s proposal, meanwhile, has five other City Council sponsors but has not been scheduled for a committee hearing. City Hall said the administration is reviewing the legislation. If passed, it would take effect one year after becoming law.
Tagged
long island
new york city
public safety
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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