Cracking Down on Reckless Car Meetups: Philadelphia Police's Relentless Pursuit of Justice

The Philadelphia Police Department's investigation into the citywide car meet-ups, which saw hundreds of people driving erratically and operating vehicles illegally through the city's streets in late September, is far from over. The department is determined to identify those responsible and hold them accountable, using a multifaceted approach that includes confiscating vehicles, tracking down participants, and exploring potential racketeering charges against organizers.

Uncovering the Chaos: Philadelphia Police's Relentless Pursuit of Justice

Identifying the Culprits and Seizing Vehicles

The Philadelphia Police Department has made significant strides in identifying the individuals involved in the car meet-ups and confiscating the vehicles used in the illegal activities. Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore revealed that the police have already identified more than 40 vehicles involved in the events that took place on the overnight hours of Saturday, September 21 into Sunday, September 22. The department is now actively locating and seizing these vehicles, with Vanore stating, "We are incrementally, throughout the area, not just Philadelphia, collecting those vehicles."The police are utilizing various investigative methods, including social media, video footage, and other means, to identify the individuals responsible for the car meet-ups. One notable arrest was that of 18-year-old Albert Woynar of Pittsburgh, which was facilitated by video evidence. During Woynar's arrest, the police also recovered equipment believed to have been used to cause some of the fires seen on the roadways during the September event, as well as the clothes he allegedly wore, including a mask that resembled the sun.

Targeting Organizers and Exploring Racketeering Charges

Going forward, the Philadelphia Police Department plans to continue investigating the car meet-ups, focusing on tracking down participants and targeting the organizers. Deputy Commissioner Vanore emphasized that this incident "all started somewhere," indicating that the police are determined to uncover the origins of these events.Additionally, the police have noticed the presence of professional film crews at recent car meet-ups, leading them to explore the possibility of charging those involved with racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) violations if they are profiting from videos of the illegal activities.

Building a "Rogues Gallery" and Launching a Public Awareness Campaign

The Philadelphia Police Department is also taking proactive steps to identify and apprehend those who participated in the massive car meet-ups. Deputy Commissioner Francis Healy revealed that the police have "good, clear shots of people's faces" and plan to create a "rogues gallery" of those involved, as well as launch an "advertising campaign of some sort" to bring the images of those still sought to the public's attention.

Lessons Learned: Anticipating and Preventing Future Car Meet-Ups

In discussing the steps to prosecute those involved in the past events, the police officials also acknowledged what went wrong in their ability to stop the car meet-ups from escalating and growing into the chaotic events they eventually became. Prior to the September incident, the police had information about planned car meet-ups, but they did not anticipate the scale of the events and the organized efforts made by the participants to make it difficult for the police to control the situation."They intentionally did what they did," Healy said. "They went throughout the city, on a very strategic and methodical process, to take our resources and spread them as thin as they could to do as much damage as they could. We know that."However, the police officials noted that they have been successful in the past in preventing car meet-ups from getting out of hand or even occurring by working in a more proactive manner. They have contacted organizers before scheduled events, leading to the cancellation of these gatherings.

Cracking Down on Illegal ATVs and Dirt Bikes

Beyond the car meet-ups, the Philadelphia Police Department has also cracked down on the illegal use of ATVs and dirt bikes in the city, another issue that has been a problem for the community. Deputy Police Commissioner Michael Cram revealed that the police have made hundreds of stops of drivers on these types of vehicles and have seized more than 380 ATVs and dirt bikes this year. Additionally, 42 drivers have been charged with fleeing or eluding police on illegal vehicles, which Cram believes has had a significant impact in reducing the occurrence of large groups of illegal ATV and dirt bike riders on city streets."We're very confident that, because we've started charging people for this, that is a reason why you don't really see the big ride outs that you've seen in the past," said Cram. "Because, they know we are going to take their bikes and eventually we are going to catch them and we are going to arrest them."