Prince George's County cracks down on street takeovers with spectator fines

Anyone who shows up to watch a street takeover in Prince George’s County could now face jail time and a fine, as the county moves to punish the crowd as well as the drivers behind the stunts.

The County Council unanimously approved CB-12-2026 on May 5, a bill introduced by Councilmember Wanika Fisher that makes it illegal to knowingly attend or watch illegal street takeovers, car rallies or high-speed races. First offenses carry up to 60 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. The penalties rise to $2,000 for a second offense and $3,000 for a third.

That shift matters because county leaders are treating street takeovers as more than traffic violations. Prince George’s County Police said the events have brought violence, arrests and gun recoveries, and that the goal is to cut off the audience that helps make the gatherings attractive in the first place. Fisher, who chairs the council’s Public Safety, Health and Human Services Committee, has argued that the same promoters move from one jurisdiction to another, which is why the county is pressing neighboring governments to adopt similar enforcement tools.

The county says police had responded to 38 street takeovers, made 20 arrests and recovered 13 handguns and three rifles so far in 2026. Other May coverage put the numbers even higher, reporting more than 40 takeovers, 20 arrests, more than 100 traffic citations and 16 illegal firearms recovered. However the totals are counted, the message from Largo has been the same: the problem has become a public-safety issue, not a nuisance.

The bill was scheduled for final action after Fisher held a press conference at the Wayne K. Curry Administration Building in Largo on the morning of the vote, alongside Prince George’s County Police Department Major David Hansen. County leaders said the law was designed to help stop the late-night gatherings before they spill into blocked roads, reckless driving and the kind of chaos that can quickly turn deadly.

Officials pointed to incidents in Columbia, District Heights and elsewhere as warnings. Police have said a stray bullet killed 26-year-old John Phipps at a District Heights shopping center in 2024, and they cited a separate case in which a woman from Indiana was badly injured while taking photos at a takeover when a car doing donuts struck her.

The county’s law comes on top of Maryland’s 2024 statewide street-racing and exhibition-driving penalties, which already increased punishments for drivers but did not specifically target spectators. County officials say that gap is exactly what CB-12-2026 is meant to close. If County Executive Aisha Braveboy signs it, the measure would take effect 45 days later, giving police a new tool aimed at the crowd that has helped keep these events alive.