Tempe PD arrest 15 for street racing, supporting safer streets efforts
Posted 3/7/24
Tempe Police Department arrested 15 people, towed 14 vehicles and seized two guns the weekend of March 2, in a two-day operation to crack down on street racing and as part of Tempe’s ongoing effort to make streets safer.
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Tempe Police Department arrested 15 people, towed 14 vehicles and seized two guns the weekend of March 2, in a two-day operation to crack down on street racing and as part of Tempe’s ongoing effort to make streets safer.
A city release explained that on any given night, Valley streets are filled with dozens to hundred of street racers going by at high speeds, even taking over intersections at times.
“Tempe PD is working with the Phoenix Police Department Street Racing Task Force and Department of Public Safety to end this dangerous activity and keep our streets safer,” the release stated.
A video from Tempe Police Department shows a driver doing ‘burnouts’ in a crowded parking lot and then crashing the car mere feet from pedestrians, including people with paddleboards returning from their recreation.
The number of high-speed drivers is one of Tempe residents’ top concerns, according to a recent ZenCity Blockwise report, ranking just below homelessness issues and drugs.
“I am committed to addressing the issue of street racing and its associated crimes. We will take proactive measures, collaborate with local agencies and employ innovative strategies to effectively combat this dangerous activity,” Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy stated in the release.
To address that concern and protect the people in our community, Tempe police are taking action, using enforcement, technology and education.
Enforcement and education
In 2023, Tempe Police Department issued 259 citations that involved racing, speeds of more than 85 mph, reckless driving and speeds more than 20 miles an hour over the speed limit, according to the release.
“Street racing isn’t acceptable in our community. It’s not only deadly for those racing, but for the other people on our roads, whether they are driving, biking or walking,” Deputy City Manager Greg Ruiz, who oversees community health and public safety, stated in the release.
Tempe launched its Operation Slow Down in January, a three-month program that has an emphasis on speeding and red-light violations.
Approximately 1,200 traffic stops have been made and approximately 500 people received citations, all with the goal of educating people and instilling a sense of responsibility to those behind the wheel.
Tempe is also one of 45 cities across the nation to participate in Vision Zero, an effort to reduce or eliminate the number of serious and injuries caused by collisions.
The city has targeted 14 intersections for intensive traffic enforcement. These intersections were chosen based on a statistical analysis of a higher propensity for collisions and are marked by Vison Zero banners along the roadway.
“In 2023, there were approximately 50 vehicle collisions in Tempe, resulting in 24 fatalities. It is believed that excessive speed was a factor in 18 of those collisions,” the release stated.
Traffic engineers are also working to improve these areas, using this data to diagnose potential safety issues and implement countermeasures to improve safety. Tempe police officers also go to schools and community groups to educate people on the consequences of high speed.
Technology
As for technology, Tempe is exploring the use of speed and red light cameras to encourage people to slow down. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, these technologies can reduce crashes by more than 50%.
Tempe will also launch a Real-Time Operations Center later this summer, the release added. This technology pools the hundreds of traffic, park and facilities cameras in Tempe so that police staff can easily review footage to determine what happened traffic incidents, resolve crimes and tend to infrastructure needs, like graffiti removal or replacing landscaping.
Tempe is the third city in Maricopa County to bring on this technology, but the first to use it for issues beyond solving crimes.
“Everyone deserves to get home safely,” Tempe Mayor Corey Woods stated in the release. “We are using all the resources available to us to make our streets safer for everyone.”
