MAINE, USA — Maine's law enforcement agencies are responding to a rising number of illegal street takeovers with concern for public safety.
Secret, overnight meetups involving dozens of spectators and drivers blocking off public intersections to perform stunts, such as drifting, have started appearing in southern Maine.
One incident happened in October 2023 in Pownal. Another happened in March. That night, the same group started a street takeover on Route 1 in Yarmouth around midnight, screeching their tires and setting off fireworks.
When police arrived to the scene, they scattered, only to meet roughly 30 minutes later at a Hannaford parking lot in West Falmouth. Falmouth Police responded and found about 50 to 60 people, some performing the same stunts.
Again, the officers arrived, the cars drove off, only to be found about an hour later in the Maine Mall parking lot in South Portland. One of the more prominent groups involved is called "Slow Boyz."
"It's just pure lawlessness," Falmouth Police Chief John Kilbride said. "I don't throw this out lightly, but people are going to get killed."
Chief Kilbride convened a group of law enforcement officers from southern Maine to strategize their response and prevent tragedies after the March incident. He said there are no reports of any other criminal activity, such as drugs or violence.
Police in Topsham, Old Orchard Beach, Saco, Scarborough, Gray, Harpswell, Naples, New Gloucester, Casco, Harrison, Raymond, Sebago, Standish, and more have dealt with these street takeovers in the last three years. AAA echoed police concerns that these events are dangerous and could kill spectators, drivers, or innocent people in the public who encounter these.
"It's dangerous. It could injure someone. It could kill somebody," Pat Moody, AAA Northern New England communications director, said. "It's a recipe for disaster, injuring the people involved, injuring the bystanders, and any other road users out there as well."
Slow Boyz agreed to interview with NEWS CENTER Maine on the condition of anonymity, fearing that speaking publicly could lead to legal repercussions.
"I can't even show you my face because then we're going to be harassed and anybody that's in this group is going to be targeted," one member said. "We personally enjoy the drifting. We like the performance of the car, especially when you spend this much money. These people, they work hard for their cars. People are not out here with their mom's cars. We're not stuntmen."
However, the group's Instagram page says "stunts are performed by professionals."
One member said there is no definitive number of people associated with the group, but identified themselves as "a bunch of kids." They said they vet anyone who attends the events, but also said people have shown up to the events who they do not know and have not vetted. That vetting process is done through social media, one person said. So is the coordination for when and where the event is happening. The group does not post the details publicly to avoid police intervention.
"It is illegal. It is not right to go on the street, drift, and do all this stuff. Going in the street definitely isn't right. And it definitely isn't the best option, but it's one of the only options we have without getting in trouble," the person said.
But they do get in trouble. Chief Kilbride said his officers are tracking down the people involved, and in some cases, seizing their cars.
"We're not going away. We're not going to sit back and watch it. We're going to take measures," Chief Kilbride said.
At some of the Slow Boyz events, people have been injured. The person we spoke to said anyone who has been injured has disregarded the crowd control measures the group put in place, including crowd monitors with megaphones and directions to stay back from the cars performing stunts.
"There is definitely people who get hurt, and we're definitely trying to prevent that," he said. "We had a pretty big discussion because a lot of the people [in the car enthusiast community] didn't want us to be on the road."
Moody suggested legal areas for the drivers to race, such as the New Oxford Dragway in Oxford, Maine, or the New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.
The Slow Boyz spokesperson said they have used different legal drift pits in the past, but after police ushered them out of those, they took to the streets. They say they want a space that is free, close by, and open whenever they want to use it.
"If Maine funded a pit for Slow Boyz, you wouldn't be hearing the word 'takeover,'" he said.
As long as these young adults keep taking over public roads, police say they have no choice but to enforce state law and protect uninvolved drivers. In some instances, they have seized cars involved, or tracked down participants.
"Anyone who participates in this — there's going to be repercussions," Chief Kilbride said.
Police and AAA say if you see an event like this happening, turn around and go the other way for your own safety.