SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The city of Sacramento is considering raising penalties for those who attend street takeovers and sideshows.
Illegal sideshows are events where people gather in vacant lots or intersections to watch drivers perform different stunts or races. Sideshows can disrupt traffic, create dangerous situations for pedestrians and escalate into violence.
In September, two people in Sacramento were killed at a sideshow that was attended by 300-500 people.
Councilmember Lisa Kaplan is hoping to crack down on the large gatherings through her proposal to increase penalties and fines for sideshow participants and spectators.
“I want to hit you in the pocketbook. Lives have been taken, communities have been disrupted,” Kaplan said.
Those who are found guilty of aiding and abetting or spectating a sideshow could be charged with a fine anywhere from $250-$25,000. They could also be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to six months in prison.
“Sideshows are not what [sic] parents or grandparents think from the 70s and 80s. These are actually very dangerous gatherings for the community and law enforcement,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan said her proposal is meant to complement the new state laws focused on illegal sideshows going into effect next year.
“This legislation will allow [law enforcement] to use license plate readers as well as officer-manned drones…to impound vehicles and hold them for 30 days,” Kaplan said.
Another change under the proposal would allow the district attorney to charge participants with a public nuisance, which Kaplan says is easier to prove. It would be up to the district attorney to handle any charges.
The proposal will be voted on at Tuesday’s 5 p.m. city council meeting. Kaplan said if the proposal passes, then she envisions enforcement starting at the beginning of 2025.
