In 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, State Sen. Emanuel Jones witnessed the alarming trend of illegal street racing and street takeovers exploding in metro Atlanta.
With the reckless behavior taking hold in his district and in other areas of the city, the Democrat from Ellenwood made combating it one of his priorities. About a year later, he went after organizers and drivers with statewide legislation, and at first things seemed to be working.
But there was one key aspect the veteran lawmaker was never able to target. His white whale? Those watching or spreading the word.
“We don’t want these kinds of activities in our cities and counties because a lot of people have gotten injured and died for no reason whatsoever,” Jones told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A new Georgia law went into effect this month that allows law enforcement to charge people with misdemeanors who “knowingly” attend street takeovers/racing events, block cars or promote the activities on social media. The repercussions are similar to those for organizers and drivers.
Jones, who sponsored the bill, said he changed the language to broaden the scope in an attempt to discourage those who were helping others laying drag.
“No two people get out and race cars by themselves,” said Jones, who represents the 10th district. “They have enablers that are blocking the highways, on the watch, and joining them in these activities. They have enablers that may be recording what they’re doing and posting to social media platforms. These are people that are defined as knowingly present and actively participating in. You don’t have to be driving a car to be arrested under this criminal statute anymore.”
Numerous street takeovers have broken out throughout metro Atlanta over the past few years: near the Georgia State University campus, on the iconic rainbow crosswalks in Midtown, outside North DeKalb Mall, on busy Jonesboro Road in Clayton County, and at a major Gwinnett County intersection. They are tracked by a street racing intelligence group made up of hundreds of law enforcement officers from the Georgia State Patrol and Gwinnett, DeKalb County and Atlanta police departments. Smaller law enforcement agencies in the area are also part of the group and assist with sharing information.
Tracking the takeovers across county lines has helped combat the illegal activity, but being able to charge others who are participating is a huge victory for law enforcement, Jones said.
Last month, Atlanta police held a news conference detailing a resurgence in illegal street racing. During the chaos, officers arrested three people for either attending, filming, posting about the illegal activity or using their bodies to block, police said.
“When I say it strengthens the hand of law enforcement, it strengthens the hand to make those charges against those that are present and blocking, and facilitate these events,” Jones added. “It’s no different than somebody being at the scene of a murder. Did they facilitate the murder? They can be guilty, too.”
But Jones, who has been in the Georgia Senate since 2005, said he doesn’t want to entrap any innocent bystanders who happen to be in the neighborhood. He said people have to purposely attend the events and do things to either promote them or hinder law enforcement. Being able to prove that a person fits those two parts is up to the courts, he said. If a suspect’s social media account was compromised, Jones noted they would be innocent until proven guilty.
Credit: DeKalb County Police Department
Credit: DeKalb County Police Department
Atlanta was the first to try something similar. In August 2020, the City Council amended an ordinance to allow police to charge non-drivers at street racing events. But that was exclusive to Atlanta’s city courts and “the state courts probably would have thrown out these convictions on appeal anyway,” Jones said. “My bill is statewide.”
According to Jones, the law was crafted out of a previous version of State Bill 10, which he introduced three years ago following the death of Jaye Mia Sanford, whose family said she was killed during an illegal street racing event in DeKalb County in November 2020. Witnesses told police that the at-fault vehicle was racing a second vehicle before the crash, though DeKalb police on Tuesday said they did not “obtain any evidence to confirm that the accident was a result of street racing.” Darius Maurice Hines, 34, was arrested on 16 charges, including vehicular homicide, trafficking ecstasy, cocaine possession and firearm possession by a convicted felon.
Sanford’s mother-in-law, Bobbie, said she still drives by the crash site a couple of times a week and thinks about her loved one daily. Her granddaughter, who was 16 at the time, was also in the vehicle.
On Tuesday, Sanford said she was ecstatic to learn about the new law, which went into effect about three years after Jones’ original bill. She had appreciated the progress of the older bill, but had hoped for a little more accountability.
“I feel that it’s going to help prevent families from going through the grief that we’ve had to go through as a result of losing a loved one, for someone’s frivolous activities,” Sanford told the AJC. “I think it will help the people who are street racing to realize that’s a serious activity, and many lives can be damaged and harmed.”
The senator noted that he tried to target all participants in 2021 but was urged to keep the language focused on organizers and drivers. The new law amends the previous language.
“The bill three years ago went after those who were actually driving vehicles and laying drag. They could have their cars confiscated and be subject to penalties,” Jones said. “So now, this new law, it expanded the law enforcement reach of who can be considered culpable in these kinds of activities.”
The street takeover scene exploded in popularity in 2020 as boredom, COVID-19-related shutdowns and the lack of vehicles on the roads made for a perfect storm. Participants typically strive for popularity on social media or “clout chasing,” and many of the events often happened in front of a recognizable location, like Mercedes-Benz Stadium, officials said. Warmer weather usually contributes to an upswing in the events.
But there is a dangerous side, both for drivers and spectators.
In July 2020, two people were killed in Atlanta’s historic Sweet Auburn district after one takeover ended in gunfire. Last August, a person broke their leg after a vehicle tore through a crowd of spectators while being chased by a state trooper who responded to another takeover on Northside Drive near 17th Street.
In 2021, one accused organizer of several major illegal street racing events around metro Atlanta was arrested. According to court records, Adolfo Robledo, who police said was behind the Instagram account ATLTuners, negotiated a plea deal for misdemeanor charges in DeKalb and got probation. Police have also arrested Darius Edmunds, one of two accused organizers who had been on the run following the chaos last month in metro Atlanta.
“For those that believe we are just going against people who just organize the events, (they) are wrong,” Atlanta police Chief Darin Schierbaum said last month.
Credit: WSBTV Videos
In addition to the misdemeanor charges, the new law increases fines and creates a new state statute for reckless stunt driving, which could see first-time offenders imprisoned for up to six months. Those convicted of reckless stunt driving three times over a 10-year span could face a felony and spend up to five years in prison. The suspects’ vehicles could also be taken away and their ability to get a license could be impacted.
Jones described the new law as one of his greatest achievements in his 20 years of service in the General Assembly. While he understands it is not a magic pill, he believes it will enable communities and law enforcement across Georgia to combat the illegal activity.
“If we can deter people from participating because they now know what the implications could be for their livelihood,” he said, “then everything we have done would have been worth it.”
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