Manukau to run boy racers out of town

An Auckland mayor is again "declaring war" on boy racers, after a car ran down a police officer in south Auckland at the weekend.

Counties Manukau police yesterday said they were looking for a driver and his early 1990s Japanese coupe painted black or dark grey.

The police officer suffered grazes and bruising when he was hit by the car early on Saturday in Pakuranga, while investigating boy racer activity.

Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis said there had been a resurgence in illegal street racing after the lull that followed new legislation last year.

Sir Barry was a big supporter of the law, passed by Parliament last April, allowing police to impound and also to confiscate cars used in street racing.

"We got on top of the boy-racer phenomenon, but late last year and early this year we've seen a resurgence of it," he said.

"They need to be alerted that this is a serious offence. I am giving notice that war has been declared once more, and they have no excuse to say they're not aware of the legislation."

Sir Barry said boy-racer activity in Manukau City had not got back to the pre-legislation levels, when up to 400 cars would regularly gather each weekend.

"But it is more than enough to put law-abiding citizens' lives at risk and to cause enormous annoyance to people trying to sleep at night.

"We have to impound these vehicles in the first instance and then confiscate them if the offending reoccurs."

Sir Barry said Counties Manukau police had run operations against boy racers since January 9 and so far more than 20 cars had been impounded. The officers were working in unison with other police districts, because many of the offenders were from elsewhere in metropolitan Auckland.

"They roam around and target favoured strips," Sir Barry said. "It just so happens that in Manukau City we have the best infrastructure for these people to congregate on," he said, a reference to three particular stretches of road.

The police officer was hurt in Pakuranga after a two-person patrol stopped to speak to two men in Harris Rd in connection with boy racers.

One of the men ran off through factory buildings and the officer gave chase. As the man ran across Ti Rakau Drive, two vehicles stopped to allow him to cross.

When the officer went to cross, the driver in one vehicle allegedly accelerated, hitting him at a speed of 30-35km/h.

Police are treating the incident as injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Meanwhile, bottles were thrown at a police car in Onehunga when officers drove through about 150 boys racers early yesterday.

The patrol officers left the area unhurt.

- NZPA