Compton residents fed up with street takeovers: 'Why has it taken this long to try to solve this?'
During the last two years, illegal street takeovers have become a major issue in the city of Compton.
COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) -- Nearly a month after a large mob of looters bum-rushed a gas station in Compton following a wild night of street takeovers, residents are speaking out, telling law enforcement officials directly they've had enough.
During the last two years, illegal street takeovers have become a major issue in the city of Compton.
In the early morning hours of April 16, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies responded to multiple calls, including the gas station looting that went viral after video showed the mob breaking into the store.
"When you have six takeovers occurring in one early morning time hour ... it is unprecedented," explained LASD Capt. Terrence Bell.
On Thursday night, residents of Compton and surrounding communities attended a town hall meeting, urging the sheriff's department and city leaders to do more.
"We're marginalized, undervalued, we're underestimated here in this city," said one speaker. "If this happened in Palos Verdes, resources would be there."
The sheriff's department said it's increased the number deputies patrolling Compton. Last weekend, the department said there was only one call about a street takeover.
"We are going to give Captain Bell everything he needs to make this problem go away," LASD Bob Wyche told the crowd on Thursday. "That does not mean this is going to go away in one week or two weeks or three weeks. This has
been building for the last five to 10 years."
Cindi Enamorado, whose brother was fatally struck by a driver participating in a street takeover in February, is fighting for stricter penalties for people involved in the illegal street shows.
"I need to make sense of his passing," she said. "There needs to be a legacy, there needs to be something, some type of change that came after this."
