While Dallas streets have been largely vacant during the coronavirus lockdown, some of our more nefarious neighbors have taken advantage of the open roads. Dallas Assistant Police Chief Lonzo Anderson said incidents of street racing have grown significantly in recent months. These aren’t shade-tree mechanics who happen to meet at a stoplight. These are organized events, publicized on social media, attracting as many as 200 spectators to watch souped-up cars built for this purpose. The problem isn’t just speeding; these events also attract guns, drugs and gambling.
As the scene has grown, it has also gotten more dangerous. In February, 45-year-old Kendrick Lyons, who wasn’t even involved in racing, was killed when his car was run off the road by two racers on Cushing Drive in southeast Dallas, prosecutors say. In April, a young man in Pleasant Grove died after he was thrown off a truck at one of these events. And just this weekend, street racing took another life in Fort Worth, according to police. Anderson said field officers are encountering more and more guns, narcotics and stolen vehicles.
“Racing is not just the sexy thing that we see on television,” Police Chief U. Renée Hall said. “What we’re seeing is violence. There are guns. There are drugs. Oftentimes there are shootings. So this is as much a priority as our regular violent crime because this breeds violent crime. It’s very important for us.”
In response, DPD’s patrol speed task force has stepped up efforts to control street racing. On the last weekend in April, police responded to 114 calls about street racing, which resulted in 115 traffic stops, 224 citations, two felony arrests and the seizure of 20 grams of marijuana.
“We’re retooling and readapting,” Anderson said. Previously, reckless driving-related calls to police were given the lowest priority ranking — a level four. Now, those calls are given a level two priority. DPD is also coordinating with law enforcement agencies around the country, “especially on the West Coast where they have been dealing with this issue for much longer than we have,” Anderson said.
One result of that collaboration is a proposed ordinance which the Dallas City Council will consider this month that would stiffen penalties for unauthorized spectator events. Under the ordinance, spectators at a street race could face fines up to $500. Officers could impound cars involved in these events if the owner fails to show proof of insurance. And cars used in street racing would go through a court procedure called a nuisance abatement process. In a preliminary discussion May 11, council members on the Public Safety Committee overwhelmingly supported the measure.
Police say racers will use any city street that’s straight and flat. Videos on YouTube show revelers racing along major thoroughfares like Greenville Avenue or doing doughnuts in the middle of the intersection of Live Oak and Skillman. And, as no surprise to anyone, attendees at these events aren’t fastidious about social distancing guidelines.
Also to no one’s surprise, we support this ordinance. It will make Dallas streets safer, not only for the partyers who can’t seem to help themselves, but for drivers like Kendrick Lyons who have to share the roads with them.
Anderson’s task force has issued 5,425 citations so far this year. The latest discovery is that groups of people are traveling in from other states to participate in these events. By all accounts, this is a problem that isn’t going away. The City Council should act now.
