CLEVELAND — Just days after News 5 Investigators uncovered Cleveland’s plans, the city altered an intersection to combat street takeovers.
Road crews were out Thursday creating square divots in the intersection of Harvard and Lee to make it harder for cars to do donuts and burnouts.
Right now, that is the only intersection getting the treatment, which is a hot spot.
It’s one of more than a dozen Cleveland intersections shut down during mass street takeovers last month.
People were doing donuts around police, blocking ambulances and banging fists on cruisers.
“The Division knew we had to figure out creative ways and alternative ways to reduce this or deter this,” Sgt. Freddy Diaz said.
On Monday, News 5 Investigators showed you how Cleveland plans to stop the illegal antics. The city bought a milling machine and is collaborating with police on a pilot project.
RELATED: Altering intersections: News 5 investigators uncover Cleveland's plans to stop street takeovers
“It’s not very costly to do this type of work; it's relatively quick,” Diaz said.
Police looked at Kansas City, which used the same tactic on its intersections to deter burnouts.
In Cleveland, the Lee Harvard area has been a hot spot for car meets.
“I really thought I was going to die that day,” said one teenager.
In August, a 17-year-old girl was among four people shot at one just steps away from where city crews ground square shapes across the entire intersection.
Police Chief Annie Todd discussed takeover strategies in an exclusive 1 on 1.
Last month, an off-duty Parma officer was beaten in the street, and a party bus attacked on Interstate 90 during the mass takeovers.
One week later, Columbus police arrested 186 people in one night using stop sticks to flatten tires.
RELATED: Columbus arrested hundreds after massive street takeover. Why has Cleveland only arrested 3?
Cleveland police confirmed they are now also researching stop sticks.
Right now, Lee and Harvard is a test run in an attempt to deter burnouts and possibly speeding at the same time.
“The burnout, the spinning, I think it makes it less appealing as it could potentially damage and deter the spin effect as well,” Diaz said.
News 5 Investigators asked Diaz if he expected any backlash from people who want smoother streets.
“Potentially, that’s not an unreasonable thought, but I think we hope that they also see the value in the fact that we’re proactively looking for solutions that are not completely taking people’s quality of life away,” Diaz said.
Depending on the results, Diaz says they’ll determine the next steps.
News 5 Investigators did speak with a Kansas City councilman. He told us it’s a slightly bumpier ride and worked fairly well.
He hasn’t heard of any complaints from regular drivers.
Our sister station in Kansas City said the solution may have pushed dangerous drivers to other parts of the city.
