Street racing crackdown

Nearly 50 people are arrested as part of a joint effort by CHP, LAPD and Sheriff ’s Department.

The California Highway Patrol arrested nearly 50 people and impounded dozens of vehicles during a series of weekend crackdowns on illegal street racing in Los Angeles County last month, an agency spokesman said.

The arrests, which took place April 10, 16 and 22, were the result of a collaboration among the CHP, the Los Angeles Police Department the L. A. County Sheriff ’s Department, marking a larger coordinated effort to target racers after speed contests were linked to a spate of deaths in recent months.

“The collaboration is the key. Now that we’re all on the same page, that is going to really allow us to stay in tune with the culture and the most coveted locations so we’ll be prepared,” said Sgt. Jose Nunez, a spokesman for the CHP’s Southern Division.

The CHP and LAPD teamed up to record 26 arrests and impound 20 vehicles April 10, Nunez said. Similar operations yielded multiple arrests and impounds the following weekend.

Detectives with the CHP, LAPD and Sheriff ’s Department made an additional 16 arrests April 22 after learning that a number of racing clubs from the San Francisco Bay Area planned to travel to Los Angeles County for a race, Nunez said.

At least one person was arrested on suspicion of felony evasion after allegedly sparking a high- speed pursuit. The CHP has also iden- tified several suspects who either led racing clubs or organized meets, commonly known as sideshows, in Los Angeles and the Bay Area in recent weeks, Nunez said.

Street racing became a larger focus for local law enforcement this year after a fiery crash on the 5 Freeway left three motorists dead, including the son of a Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s lieutenant. Dealio Lockhart, 35, was charged with murder and reckless driving, and admitted to investigators that he had been racing, the CHP said.

A 36- year- old music teacher was also killed this year when a suspected racer lost control of his vehicle on a busy Hawthorne street.

Most departments in Los Angeles County do not have detectives specifically assigned to investigate the local street racing scene, citing a host of issues such as manpower and the unpredictable nature of the crime.

But leaders from several county law enforcement agencies met this year to discuss the formation of permanent task force, led by the LAPD, to address the issue.