Street racing

is going to get killed,” one Buckhead resident said.

Bryant presented data showing that 911 calls that mentioned “racing,” “drag” or “donuts” have increased steadily since June, with 551 calls last month that included those terms. In just the first 11 days of October, APD received 200 calls that mentioned either “racing,” “drag” or “donuts.”

Police have made nearly 500 arrests this year for charges including racing, laying drag or reckless driving, Bryant said. Under state law, officials said, they are not able to impound vehicles involvedinstreet racing.

Bryant said the city may also see a drop in street racing

after the city’s court reopens and offenders face penalties for the traffic violations. Atlanta Municipal Court Chief Judge Christopher Portis told the council members that there is no set date for when the court might reopen. Police said street- racing offenses can result in up to six months in jail and a $ 1,000 fine.

CityCouncil PresidentFelicia Moore pointed out that street racing is not unique to Buckhead or Midtown.

“I don’t think there’s a district that hasn’t seen it,” she said.

Over theweekend, Moore posted on socialmedia and urged street racers to stop.

“And, at the same time I will do all I can to stop you,” she wrote.

During Monday’s meeting, Bryant also cleared up

rumors that started online after apedestrianwas struck and killed by a car in Buckhead over the weekend. APD’s initial investigation has indicated the crashwas not the resultof street racing.

CouncilmanAmirFarokhi, whose Midtown and downtowndistrict is home to several street racing hotspots, said laws to combat the issue are in place.

“The challenge has been enforcement,” Farokhi said in an interview. “The Council and the city areworking really hard to solve this issue because it’s not acceptable. It’s not tenable. And every resident deserves better.”

He sent a letter tothe city’s administration Thursday urging officials to ramp up enforcement and lobby for changes in the state lawthat could strengthen penalties.

COURTESY OF BEN HENDREN A large crowd gathers towatch cars do burnouts in Atlanta. Police data show911 calls that mentioned “racing,” “drag” or “donuts” have increased steadily since June, with 551 calls lastmonth that included those terms.