Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is doubling down on her plans to disrupt street takeovers.
A street takeover is a gathering that blocks off an intersection to make room for cars illegally drag racing or otherwise performing in a way that takes up the roadway.
Both Gov. Healey and Mass. State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble spoke on the impacts of state and local police crackdowns on illegal car meets and street takeovers. Healey ordered the state police to curb street incidents like these after several street takeovers were held earlier this month in Massachusetts communities. That included a takeover in Brockton, Fall River, Randolph, and large incident in Boston, ending with a police cruiser engulfed in flames.
The events drew the ire of President Donald Trump, who threatened to move the 2026 World Cup matches set to be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., after being asked about the takeovers on Tuesday.
At a press conference Thursday, reporters were quick to ask Healey if President Trump’s comments had anything to do with the increased enforcement -- or if he even had the authority to move World Cup games. An aggravated Healey demurred.
"Come on, that’s just more political theatre, so I don’t really pay that too much mind,” said Healey. “I don’t know, I don’t think so, I think it doesn’t make any sense," she said.
When asked if the street takeovers had actually increased in number in recent days or weeks, State Police Colonel Geoffrey Nobel said they had been a challenge that had been going on for a long while.
She said state and local police across Eastern Mass cracked down on planned events publicized online this past weekend.
The disrupted events ended with over 200 civil citations issued, 74 warnings, 20 criminal summons, seven arrests, multiple towed and seized vehicles, as well as the recovery of a stolen car.
Healey also announced up to $14 million in grants for 210 local police departments and 10 state agencies to go towards traffic enforcement and stopping illegal activity like street takeovers.
"We were serious, when we said zero tolerance for this stuff, we meant it. Okay, we shut it down last weekend, we’re going to continue to shut it down,” said Healey.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.