Sideshows, or spontaneous car stunt events, are a significant issue for communities and law enforcement across the country, straining resources and threatening public safety. These gatherings often occur without warning, overtaking intersections and parking lots. They are highly disruptive, drawing large crowds, causing traffic problems, and posing risks not only to participants but also to bystanders, often resulting in serious injuries or fatalities.

Addressing the sideshow problem is more challenging than it seems. Despite best efforts, law enforcement often struggles to control these events for several reasons:

- Large Crowds: Sideshows can attract hundreds of people, creating chaotic environments that are difficult to control. In communities where these takeovers are seen as entertainment, dispersing large crowds can lead to panic, bottlenecks, or even resistance.

- Spontaneity and Speed: These events are organized quickly and often with little warning, leaving law enforcement with limited time to prepare and respond. This spontaneity makes it difficult for police to intervene before the event disperses.

- Resource Limitations: At a time when staffing, budgets, and technology are already stretched thin, enforcing laws against sideshows further strains personnel and resources. Law enforcement must also balance this with other critical priorities, like violent crime, making it challenging to allocate the necessary resources for sideshow control.

- Difficulty in Identifying Participants: Sideshows are often promoted on social media, drawing participants from various locations. With so many people and vehicles involved, identifying organizers or frequent participants becomes challenging, complicating accountability.

Flock Safety prides itself on our commitment to innovating to address every new challenge law enforcement faces, and now, we’re thrilled to share that includes helping address, respond to, and eventually deter sideshows. By expanding our Raven® audio detection system, we will provide agencies with real-time sideshow alerts, helping them respond more proactively. Already proven for gunshot and firework detection, Raven® uses artificial intelligence to recognize the sounds associated with sideshows. 

Our system continues to improve as it gathers data, enhancing its precision over time, but it’s time to make it available to agencies to use as part of a comprehensive package of technology. The integration of Raven® with Flock Safety’s Proximity Analytics and license plate recognition technology provides law enforcement with a deeper layer of insight, enabling them to track repeat offenders and analyze patterns linked to sideshows. This proactive approach allows agencies to adapt to the specific challenges posed by sideshows in their communities, reducing the impact of these dangerous gatherings.

As we take on the sideshow problem, we remain dedicated to empowering law enforcement with innovative tools. Our goal is to support agencies in making communities safer for everyone.