Brockton police seize two guns, arrest 6 in large weekend car meetups

BROCKTON, Mass. — Early Saturday morning, long after stores closed, Brockton police say a shopping plaza parking lot on Torrey Street was filled with cars in a so-called car meetup.

Car meet-ups are organized and advertised on social media, and they attract people from all over New England.

At Saturday’s car meet-up, Brockton police counted as many as 150 vehicles. Police seized two unlicensed guns, and they made two arrests.

Overall, police estimate that over the weekend 300 cars came to Brockton for car meet-ups and, in total, made six arrests.

“It creates a significant, significant traffic problem in the area. Even when we are dispersing them, when they grow to be that large in size as we are dispersing them, they take to the streets at a high rate of speed. Definitely creates a public safety risk,” Brockton Police Captain William Carpenter told me.

Car meetups are a constant problem throughout Massachusetts. Last year, Worcester Police arrested so many people for car meet ups, they used buses to take them to their bookings.

In Boston, a street takeover got so out of control, a Boston Police cruiser was set on fire.

Back in Brockton, residents tell me they are tired of car meet-ups and street takeovers and the trouble they bring.

“This should not be happening continuously. It has to be stopped,” Agnes Armand Charles of Brockton told me.

“Having guns, you know, in a place like that, where people are shopping. It’s not good,” Terry Lauore added.

Brockton Police officers, detectives, and the department’s Strategic Crime Reduction Unit spent the weekend targeting car meetups and breaking them up before anyone got hurt.

It’s an endless cat-and-mouse effort that will continue

“If you come to Brockton with the goal of driving recklessly and behaving inappropriately, you are not welcome in our city,” Captain Carpenter said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW