Texas Governor Greg Abbott Launches New Task Force To Combat Street Takeovers

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott announced that his administration would create a new taskforce to combat street robbery in Texas after an incident in which law enforcement was attacked.

“Launching a statewide task force with @TxDPS to combat the rise in dangerous street takeovers happening across Texas,” Abbott posted on Twitter. “Texas is a law-and-order state and will not tolerate these reckless, coordinated criminal events.”

The latest incident This weekend’s events in Austin attracted significant media attention and led to multiple arrests for reckless driving, weapon and drug charges.

🚨#WATCH: As chaos erupted overnight as dozens cars takeover attacking police

📌#Austin | #Texas⁰⁰Chaos erupted in Austin Texas after a significant, coordinated street race / takeover event took place last night as multiple vehicles blocked traffic doing donuts. When Austin… https://t.co/TMjLC0hY39 pic.twitter.com/ZddAmsUM7s

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) February 19, 2023

Multiple people were set on fire during a street takeover in Austin, Texas. pic.twitter.com/L7sIak1bGV

— Lexit (@LexitMovement1) February 21, 2023

Abbott’s office stated that the task force will be headed by members of Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division and Texas Highway Patrol Aviation Operations Division. They will also work with local law enforcement agencies throughout Texas.

The task force will conduct state investigations to find the culprits. “organized crime” Abbott’s office believes that there are several groups involved in the highly illegal and potentially dangerous street takeovers.

The task force was tasked with seizing vehicles, weapons, drugs, and making felony arrests. This would result in heavy prison time for those involved in street takeovers.

“Despite the foolish attempts by some local officials to defund and demoralize our brave law enforcement officers, Texas is and remains a law-and-order state,” Abbott stated this in a statement. “We must send a clear message that these reckless, coordinated criminal events will not be tolerated in Texas. This statewide task force will work closely with local officials and law enforcement to investigate, prosecute, and prevent these dangerous street takeovers.”

Steve McCraw, Director of DPS, stated that illegal events pose a risk to the lives and safety of Texas citizens as well as law enforcement officers.

“We are seeing fireworks fired at officers in crowds, lasers pointed at aircraft, drivers driving upwards of 130 miles per hour with no lights on in the dark of night-all of it is reckless, and it needs to be stopped,” He said.

Houston is another Texas city where street takeovers occur on a regular basis. Local media reported More than 1,500 people have been arrested in street takeovers during the past two decades.

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