Kansas City police crack down on illegal street racing

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Over the weekend, KCPD continued its efforts to combat illegal street racing involving ATV and motorcycle groups.

KCPD officials said the action was part of a coordinated effort led by KCPD’s Traffic Division to combat dangerous driving, sideshows and street racing.

The police are regularly informed by residents about these illegal activities, which cause disruption to the roads around the city.

“I saw 30 to 40 headlights staring at me, and you don’t normally see that, especially at night. It’s usually pretty quiet, so I thought, I don’t know what’s going on, but then I heard the tires spinning,” said Rachel Christia Robinson, who lives in the Kansas City metropolitan area. “You could smell the burning in the air. I thought, ‘Okay, I don’t know if I should go home or turn around and go somewhere else.’ They were speeding up and down the street. It was very scary.”

Over the weekend, KCPD towed nine cars, arrested several people and cited dozens of violations for racing, spectating and dangerous driving.

Officials focused on downtown Kansas City and the entertainment districts.

As you drive down Grand Boulevard downtown, it’s hard to miss the signs advertising street racing and sideshows.

“I can see all the circles here. It looks just like the intersection by my house,” Robinson explained. “You get up in the morning and you see all the tire tracks. At night you try to go to sleep but you hear screeching noises and in my head I associate that with someone potentially getting hurt.”

Over 20 officers were involved in enforcement activities over the holiday weekend.

Zaven Nalbandian is visiting Kansas City and was not surprised to hear about the street racing in KC.

He said they face the same challenges at home in St. Louis.

“I know there are kids out there looking for a thrill. They think it’s fun, but it’s dragging the whole community down,” Nalbandian said. “People talk about it being a danger, it scaring people; it keeps them away from the areas where we want them to go and spend their money. We want tourists to come and residents to make downtown more vibrant, and that can’t happen if you have this type of activity that scares people.”

A KCPD spokesman said the enforcement on a holiday weekend was the second of its kind.

In April, a similar action resulted in almost 30 traffic violations.

KCPD officials said there will be additional measures in the future focusing on dangerous driving, sideshows and street racing.