A City Council member in Queens is renewing his call for a dedicated police unit aimed at cracking down on street takeovers, after a group of motorcycles was reported gathering near 69th Street and Eliot Avenue.
The activity happened in Middle Village on Friday night, according to the council member, who shared video of the motorcycles and described it as “nonsense.”
Councilman Phil Wong said police showed up within minutes, Wong officers saw the group leaving the area and put the information out citywide. But even as additional help arrived, the group had scattered, he said.<
According to the New York City Police Dept., officers responded to a 9-1-1 call for motorcycles at about 8:51 p.m.
The NYPD confirmed that upon officers’ arrival, the motorcycles left the location.
The reported motorcycle takeover comes five months after another group took over the same area, with cars spinning out. At least one arrest was made in that case.
In statement to NBC New York, the NYPD said it “takes an aggressive approach to addressing car meetups,” and pointed to enforcement totals.
“So far this year, we have responded to 259 events, made 167 arrests, and seized more than 285 vehicles,” the NYPD said.
The department said its strategy involves multiple specialty units that work together to “uncover, track, and shut down these dangerous events.”
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.
