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Fifteen people were arrested and seven vehicles were impounded after police broke up a street takeover in Medford, New York, early Saturday morning, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.
The department said its Street Takeover Task Force had been tracking the group since before it gathered Friday night, August 14. Investigators learned of the planned event through intelligence gathering and social media monitoring.
The group did not stay in one place. Police tracked it as it moved between several locations across Suffolk County, which covers roughly 1,000 square miles across the eastern two-thirds of Long Island. Officers first broke up attempted gatherings near Commack Road and Sunrise Highway in Islip, then disrupted another near Route 112 and Main Street in Patchogue.
Police finally intercepted the crowd around 12:50 a.m. Saturday near Woodside Avenue and Sawgrass Drive in Medford.
"Numerous vehicles effectively closed down the roadway on Sawgrass Drive by driving recklessly, performing stunts in the roadway, and doing donuts and burnouts," police said.
Members of the task force arrested 15 people and handed out multiple traffic tickets. Those arrested came from communities across Long Island and New York City. Fourteen of the 15 suspects were charged with both participating in an unlawful speed contest and spectating an unlawful speed contest.
The Medford incident came just weeks after another large street takeover in Suffolk County. In that earlier event, police said at least 200 ATVs, dirt bikes, and motorcycles flooded roads in Hauppauge and Brentwood, prompting another major law enforcement response. Three people were arrested and 10 vehicles were impounded during that operation.
The Suffolk County Police Department could not immediately be reached for comment.
