Amid Rise of Dangerous Sideshows, Harder Backs Bill Requesting FBI to Step In

Sideshows are becoming more dangerous and more frequent; Last month in Stockton, a man lost his foot after being caught up in a sideshow – at least three shooting deaths have been linked to sideshows in Stockton this year

The They’re Fast, We’re Furious Act would create an FBI-led federal task force to stop sideshows and street racing

Earlier this year, a sideshow mob in Sacramento violently attacked a family in their minivan

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Josh Harder (CA-9) is sounding the alarm on dangerous sideshows that have been linked to the shooting deaths of at least three people so far this year in Stockton. Sideshows hotbeds for criminal activity, especially the use of unlawful firearms. These illegal gatherings often shut down entire public streets and intersections for extended periods of time while cars perform dangerous stunts.

Rep. Harder is backing the They’re Fast, We’re Furious Act, to create an FBI-led Street Racing Prevention and Intervention Task Force, bringing together the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Transportation (DOT), state and local law enforcement, and other law enforcement officials.

“Sideshows have become hot spots for violent crime in Stockton, with three people shot and killed this year and many others suffering injuries. It’s really scary, especially for families with young kids,” said Rep. Harder. “People are coming from all over, performing dangerous stunts right outside of people’s homes, bringing gang activity, and trafficking illegal weapons into our community, and we have to put a stop to it. This bill directs the FBI to create a task force aimed at stopping these dangerous sideshows.”

In November, a man who was caught up in a sideshow in Stockton was injured so badly, he had to get his foot amputated. In May, a Stockton Police officer suffered minor injuries at a sideshow. Many sideshow-related injuries go unreported. So far this year in Stockton, at least three shooting deaths have been linked to sideshows. In July, an 18-year-old man was shot and killed in Stockton after attending a sideshow. In May, a sideshow in Stockton turned deadly when there was a triple shooting in the midst of sideshow activity. In April, a 22-year-old was shot and killed during a sideshow in Stockton.

Specifically, the They’re Fast, We’re Furious Actwould require the Director of the FBI to establish a “Street Racing Prevention and Intervention Task Force” including members from the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), state or local law enforcement agencies, and the FBI. The Task Force would be responsible for analyzing the prevalence and impacts of street racing, vehicle sideshows, and street takeovers; developing best practices for a national approach to combat these organized events; and coordinating the response of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to these incidents.

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