- Parts of La Vista have become a target for street racing and it’s become a concern for the police department. Now, the police chief is working with the city to try and address this problem.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Current acting police chief DJ Barcal said his crews were having issues with street racers, street takeover and burn out competitions that occurred in portions of the city. He said it tends to peak in the summer.
Hot spots seem to be big parking lots and long straight roadways in the city’s commercial and industrial areas after business hours.
“Every weekend, usually Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights,” Barcal said. “[It] was also taking a great deal of the time of the officers having to respond to these calls.”
Tending to these calls required lots of time and resources, under the city’s current nuisance ordinance, La Vista police struggled to get ahead of it.
“Dispersing large gatherings takes some time,” Barcal said. “Having them just turn around and come right back just seemed like we were spinning our wheels.
Now, Barcal is pushing for the city to amend its current nuisance ordinance to include street racing, allowing his department to issue citations. While Barcal hopes it’s a last resort, he also hopes it makes a difference.
“This is just a tool that we’ll have in our toolbox so that if situations get out of control and we don’t get cooperation, that is something we may rely on.” Barcal said.
The council will hear the ordinance during their April 2nd meeting, where it’s expected to pass.
