Police crackdown on illegal drag races

By Matthew Thompson

March 21 2002

 

 

A police crackdown on western Sydney's illegal street drag races - which draw up to 200 cars four nights a week - has snared 57 vehicles in two months.

 

Police say a Suzuki Swift and Toyota Seca were caught facing off in a 400-metre races at Lyn Parade, Preston, in the early hours of Sunday. And a Toyota Starlet was impounded after a Friday night race at Seville Street, Fairfield.

 

"These guys are driving pissy little four cylinder ladies' cars," said Sergeant Mark Nielsen of Green Valley Highway Patrol. "It's not like the days of V8 Holdens and Fords."

 

A first offence results in a $450 fine and the car impounded for three months. Second offences result in the car being confiscated and sold at auction.

 

But the craze is growing and catching the revheads is not easy, says Sgt Nielsen, which is why a new campaign has been launched to get residents to dob them in.

 

"There might be 100 to 200 cars involved, but the point-men listen to our radio and find out we're coming - it makes it really hard for us to catch them," he said.

 

Undercover policing is difficult because organisers threaten spectators they don't recognise.

 

"When people they don't know come to watch, they tell them they're going to beat them up," he said.

 

The races regularly rip through the industrial estates of Fairfield, Smithfield, Preston, and Wetherill Park, but Highway Patrol supervisor Dave Plunkett said more residential streets are now being used.

 

"They annoy the hell out of the neighbourhood," he said.

 

A police leaflet campaign urging residents to dob in neighbours involved in burn-outs has stopped them in Franklin Place, Bossley Park, he adds.

 

"Once offenders know that the whole street is watching them, they stop," he said.

 

Police are concerned about the street racers selling drugs to pay for their cars.

 

"The burn-outs are $200 a tire. Some of them have $10,000 speaker systems - but when we pull them over they say they're unemployed," said Sgt Plunkett. "You don't have to be bloody Einstein to work out where the money's coming from."

 

Good ol' plain speaking Aussie cops - never afraid to call a spade a f***ing shovel

 

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