OPINION
The mother of a teen injured at an illegal car meet is relieved after Bay of Plenty police impounded 12 cars and arrested three people in a street racer sting on Saturday night.
The crackdown, involving 100 officers, comes after a street racing event near TECT Park in Tauranga last month where one teenager suffered broken bones and leg lacerations after a ute doing donuts smashed into bystanders. Another teen said the last thing she remembered from the event was “being hit by the back of the truck”.
A mother also spoke about rushing her daughter, who was “struggling to breathe”, to hospital that same night, but their route was blocked by street racers.
In addition to the 12 impounded cars, 15 were ordered off the road, 128 infringement notices were issued and five licences were suspended.
Read the full story here: Tauranga street racers: Mother of injured teen speaks out after police make arrests, impound cars
Have your say by going to bayofplentytimes.co.nz or dailypost.co.nz and becoming a Premium subscriber.
Coming up six years of a soft-on-crime Labour justice system, no consequences for those under-18s committing these crimes, of course, it’s got to this level. Anything happening here is too little too late. I’m surprised that the Government’s approach is to install speed humps every 100 metres. They are masters of ambulances at the bottom of the cliff rather than solving the root cause of problems.
Richard C
We can send 100 cops to stop boy racers but assaults, ram raids, burglaries, etc. seem to be a lower priority. Five police ministers in six years say it all. Well done Labour, NZ is quickly becoming a crime cesspool.
Nigel W
Crush their cars and motorbikes.
Richard F
We live in rural Canterbury. Some weeks back a group of three cars, full of teenagers, were driving up and down several roads firing rocket-type fireworks into people’s properties. Mainly aiming at houses and sheds etc. Several neighbours gave chase in vehicles and got close enough in the local township to identify licence plates and vehicles. At this point, the community patrol vehicles took over. All these vehicles were reported to police via 111, their reports line and to the local police via email. Guess what? Not a thing was done or even followed up on. No phone calls, emails etc. Even the community patrol heard nothing back. Last Friday night the same group same behaviour and no doubt the same result. We have an inept and totally depowered police force.
Mark S
Time to crush the vehicles? Wet bus tickets haven’t and won’t work. In Queensland, spectators along with drivers can be fined up to $6000 for gathering at events. They also take away licenses and scrap the vehicles. This has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the meetings.
Jo P
Great work from the police, well overdue, but in 28 days the impounded cars will be given back. What is the bet that most of the 15 cars ordered off the road are still being driven around, and the infringement notices can be paid by drip-feed, and odds on that the drivers with suspended licences will still be driving? Must be frustrating for the police that under this Government’s approach to crime that there are no real consequences for criminal activity, the only consequences being to the victims.
Alan B
Nice job NZ police. Just needs the courts and judges to do their part now.
Max R
I think I’ll go against the flow and simply thank the police for a job well done. No snarky brickbats from me.
Marcus H
Republished comments may be edited at the editor’s discretion.
The Rotorua Daily Post and the Bay of Plenty Times welcome letters from readers. Please note the following:
Email editor@dailypost.co.nz or editor@bayofplentytimes.co.nz.