A renewed commitment to stopping dangerous sideshows in Oakland is paying off.
Oakland Police Chief Leronne Armstrong said sideshows, informal events where people gather to watch amateur car stunts, have been around for a very long time, but have become a huge problem in 2021.
“I must say, this weekend was tremendously challenging for us in the city of Oakland because we’ve seen a significant increase in sideshow activities.” Armstrong said.
This year, the Oakland Police Department received increased funding from the city council to fight the problem with a specific sideshow police detail on the weekends. Armstrong explained that due to the increased patrol last weekend “they were able to tow 24 vehicles, arrest eight people and recover three firearms.”
One of the OPD’s most important tools is a helicopter that can track cars without getting involved in any potentially dangerous chases on city streets, which means people may find their car towed days after they attended a sideshow.
“These tows are 30 day tows,” Armstrong said. “These vehicles will not be back in the hands of individuals seeking to continue sideshow activities in the city of Oakland or any city.”
Armstrong explained that making sure all East Bay cities have similar laws and enforcement efforts is key going forward so that the sideshows don’t just hop city lines instead.
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