"Braintree police are on alert after, the department said, they became aware of a "takeover" scheduled for Friday evening at the South Shore Plaza shopping mall. The planned takeover was advertised through a social media post which stated that it would take place at 7 p.m. Friday, the police department wrote on Facebook. Officers were alerted to the post Tuesday and issued a statement Thursday out of concern for public safety, police said."
""Events promoted in this manner can attract a large and unpredictable crowd," police said. "We owe it to the visitors, employees, business owners, and the residents of Braintree to ensure that public safety is paramount.""
"Also known as vehicle takeovers or car meetups, the incidents involved large crowds blocking off streets for car burnouts, donuts, and drag racing. In early October, police in Boston, Fall River, Middleborough, Dedham, and Randolph all responded to similar incidents on the same night. In one instance, the meetup escalated when a crowd set a police cruiser aflame in Boston's South End. Other incidents in Boston's West Roxbury neighborhood, Fall River, and Randolph involved people lighting fireworks in the street and attacking police cruisers."
Braintree police are on alert after becoming aware of a takeover scheduled Friday evening at the South Shore Plaza shopping mall. The takeover was advertised on social media with a 7 p.m. start time; officers were alerted Tuesday and issued a public safety message Thursday. Officials warned that events promoted this way can attract large, unpredictable crowds and emphasized prioritizing the safety of visitors, employees, business owners, and residents. An operational plan has been developed and coordination with law enforcement partners will continue, with ongoing monitoring to respond if the takeover occurs. Similar vehicle takeovers last fall involved burnouts, donuts, drag racing, fires, and attacks on police vehicles across multiple Massachusetts communities, prompting a $14 million safety grant for prevention.
Read at Boston.com
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