INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD's crackdown on street takeovers is in full effect.
The department reports arresting four people during recent operations. There was also one pursuit with a person caught, six citations, one arrest warrant and three illegal guns recovered.
Last week, IMPD released video of a car violently spinning in circles at the intersection of MLK and 27th streets.
Spinning events have escalated this year, with takeovers damaging business parking lots, blocking roads and intersections and even leading to injuries.
Indiana State Police has said they've seen people coming to Indianapolis from as far away as Kentucky for these spinning events.
Hundreds of cars have been converging on streets throughout Indianapolis, effectively taking them over and shutting them down. IMPD said it's been happening across the city for the past six months.
Now, the department is coming together with ISP to try to stop what's being called "street takeovers."
Between the two agencies, there have been more than a dozen arrests of people allegedly taking part in the events, part of an ongoing effort to bring an end to what police say is dangerous to the public, law enforcement and even the people shutting Indy's streets down.
"Every Sunday, there's car races," said one woman, who asked not to be identified.
That's because this mom of a 1-year-old child is scared after spending months with a front-row seat to hundreds of cars taking over 28th and MLK streets, near where she lives.
"It's very scary," she said. "We're actually going to move. We're going break our lease and we're moving because of all the traffic and the chaos every Sunday."
The collaboration between state police and IMPD is an effort to halt the kind of chaos she's talking about.
"Individuals engaged in this kind of activity know exactly what they're doing. They know they're disrupting traffic. They know they're putting people at risk, and it's just flat out irresponsible," IMPD Lt. Shane Foley said.
Police said the people organizing the street takeovers are advertising them on social media, sometimes with several happening in one night and mostly on the weekends. According to police, the latest one happened Sunday at 28th and MLK streets. It took more than 20 police officers to shut it down and get traffic in the area moving again.
"We're not done. The efforts will continue to identify these people involved and engaged in these activities, and you can expect arrests in the future," Foley said.
Police said there are legal and permitted spinning events in Indianapolis, but the events they're investigating are not happening legally and often include stolen cars.
IMPD is not solely focused on those behind the wheel or hanging out of car windows. They are also targeting those who stand by and watch these dangerous acts unfold in the streets, as they, too, can face criminal charges.