Phoenix street racing citations skyrocket during pandemic

“... we’re recognizing that this is exceptionally dangerous behavior that could lead to someone’s death very easily.” Courtney Sullivan

Prosecutor for the

Maricopa County Attorney’s Office

In late October, both the Phoenix Police Drag Racing Task Force and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office assembled at Phoenix Police headquarters to discuss a community issue that has been plaguing the West Valley for years: street racing.

The event was held in an attempt to share a message of concern and safety for those who continue to practice street racing, while also attempting to hold them accountable. Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in citations related to street racing in Phoenix.

Recent statutory changes to laws related to street racing, as well as designating a task force to monitor racing activity, have aided the Phoenix Police Department and The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in educating, overseeing and addressing street-racing related crimes.

Phoenix police said that the use of social media has helped fuel street-racing activity.

So far in 2021, the Phoenix Police Department has issued about 321 citations related to street racing or reckless driving, data provided by Phoenix police showed. In 2020, there were 362 racing or reckless driving citations.

In 2019 only 42 of the same nature were issued, the data showed.

In Maricopa County Justice Court, since 2019, at least 27 cases have been filed related to racing, reckless driving and obstructing a highway by the Phoenix police. Only 11 of those cases have resulted in a guilty plea.

Over the years Phoenix has experienced “bouts of street racing activity,” according to Sgt. Mercedes Fortune with the Phoenix Police Department. The illicit activity has led to officers being run over by drivers, people being seriously injured due to drivers performing tricks and people being killed in collisions related to street racing over the last four years.

State looks to statutory revisions

On Sept. 29, the state legislature enacted new statutory changes to laws related to street racing due to the existing gap between enforcement and reporting the behavior, said Courtney Sullivan, a prosecutor for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Arizona Revised Statute, 28-708 states that “a person who drives a vehicle or participates in any manner in a race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceleration contest, test of physical endurance or exhibition of speed or acceleration or for the purpose of making a speed record on a street or highway will face a Class One Misdemeanor” for a first-time offense.

Most of the changes will impact individuals who are facing misdemeanor charges for street racing as well as a new state-wide impound ordinance for vehicles, Sullivan said.

But if a person is convicted on a second offense or violation within a twoyear period, then the person will automatically be charged with a Class Six Felony and will not be eligible for, “probation, pardon, suspension of sentence or release on any other basis until the person has served not less than ten days in jail or prison,” the statute states.

Fees for offenders did not change. First-time violators will pay a fine no less than $250, while those who are convicted of a second violation are expected to pay a fine no less than $500, the statute states. Both offenders may be ordered by the court to perform community restitution.

An additional fee that has been added to the statute is that of $1,000, which was proposed in February 2020 by Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Phoenix in Senate Bill 1659. According to Sullivan, the additional assessment fee will be distributed back to law enforcement agencies to help combat street racing.

At least one person has been convicted of felony charges for their second street racing offense since the changes took effect.

“Now we are seeing the people that

did not learn the first time around come back through for new street racing events. Since those convictions came down, we are now able to file felony charges on them. What we have been able to kind of do is keep ratcheting up the consequences,” Sullivan said.

The street racing demographic usually consists of young men between the ages of 18 to 25, most of whom do not have prior felony convictions. They have supportive families, good jobs and do not want these consequences to follow them for the rest of their lives, Sullivan said.

“We don’t want to jam these guys up for the rest of their lives, but at the same time, we’re recognizing that this is exceptionally dangerous behavior that could lead to someone’s death very easily,” Sullivan said. “It’s going to sting a little bit for a little while. If they have prior felony convictions then it’s going to sting a little bit more; if they have prior racing convictions then it’s going to sting a little bit more. We are really trying to kind of reinforce that this behavior has to stop.”

Hoping to ‘educate’ and ‘change behavior’

The street racing task force has proven to be a huge asset for the Valley since its start, according to Sullivan.

“They operate Valley-wide. They also help train other agencies to address and monitor this behavior. Without them, we certainly wouldn’t be where we are today,” Sullivan said

In response to an increase in street-racing activity in late 2019, the Phoenix Police Department received $100,000 from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to create a new street-racing task force.

The funds came from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from resources that weren’t spent during the 2019 fiscal year, according to Director of GOHS Alberto Gutier.

According to Sgt. Joe Mills of the Phoenix police street racing task force, the grant funds from GOHS were secured for supplemental staffing with the intention of having more officers available to focus on street racing.

Prior to GOHS funding, community action officers and unit officers from the Maryvale precinct worked with neighborhood enforcement to handle street racing. However, most of those officers only worked on the weekends, when expected activity was taking place.

The task force Mills has worked with since February works to combat street racing 40 hours a week.

The hope is to “educate” and “change the behavior” within the community, but to also have more people realize that it’s not safe to be racing on public roadways or on private property.