Texas Amends Law, Can Now Arrest Those Filming Street Takeovers

Texas recently ramped up the penalties for being involved in a street takeover and now, just filming one can get you in trouble.

Texas Governor Gregg Abbott recently signed new legislation which makes street racing, street "takeovers" and other, reckless driving punishable by jail time and property seizures.

You don't have to be actively involved in a street takeover to get in trouble either.

House Bill 1442 gives more tools to law enforcement and prosecutors to pursue organized street racing and takeover events across the state. Abbott said it adds two new offenses to the organized criminal activity statute: Reckless driving exhibition and racing on a highway.  - wfaa.com

That covers those directly involved.

Simply filming and posting the event online can also get you in trouble and, thanks to modern technology, you're easy to find.

"Make no mistake about it, the statute of limitations is three years. We've got plenty of time to find you, and we will find you," Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw said at the bill signing. foxsanantonio.com

So, yeah ... filming and uploading video of street takeovers can now get you busted and so can simply being a bystander at one.

What Texas is basically saying is don't organize these things, if you see one don't watch it and, if you do, don't film and/or upload video of it.

Those things can now get you into just as much hot water as actually taking part in the event, the recklessness and/or any dangerous conduct involved.