KEY POINTS:
Auckland's councils may have to get the law changed to make it easier for the police to deal with groups of up to 250 vehicles gathering for illegal races.
Councils lack the power to make bylaws that allow the police to issue infringement notices, with a fine of
up to $500, to any illegal street racer.
At present, police must try to achieve convictions for dangerous driving offences through the courts.
North Shore police complain the present system is time-consuming and they are frustrated when having to deal with large gatherings.
After extensive campaigns in which cars were seized, Senior Sergeant Gary Hill asked the city council to consider bylaws for the Albany industrial area to help keep the pressure on boy racers.
This meant nearly 60 streets would have bylaws prohibiting cars there on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and public holidays, except for those on bona fide business.
Councils lost the power to make bylaw breaches carry infringements when a section of the Local Government Act was repealed. But before the law changed, Manukau City Council brought in bylaws similar to those now desired by North Shore and other city councils.
Police want bylaws such as Manukau City's, which are still valid and cover 150 streets, mostly industrial ones but including Te Irirangi Drive.
"It has worked well for Manukau City's problem with illegal street racing and the activities of these people," said Counties-Manukau road policing manager Inspector Sandy Newsome.
"I'm lucky to have it here. It would make our job a lot harder without it. We can be pro-active and move them on and not allow them to perform on the streets.
"If they do turn up in an area which has the bylaw they will get a notice saying they should not have been there," he said.
Inspector Newsome said Manukau was still having incidents in which people were street racing and being seriously injured. But the bylaws, when combined with police tactics, were effective in large-scale situations.
"It's here for when 200 to 300 vehicles pounce on the area, park up and start to perform illegal activities, pouring diesel on the roads."
Manukau city traffic engineer Bruce Conaghan said it cost $40,000 to put up road signs explaining the bylaw, "but it's a small cost compared with us spending $2500 to repair a road burnout, and prevent serious crimes".
North Shore City senior traffic engineer Robert Douglas-Jones said police were aware that street racer gatherings usually resulted in damage and violation of traffic laws. However, police could not legally move the racers on or impound vehicles until offences occurred.
Mr Douglas-Jones said a regional forum of council officers would look for a way to make it easier for the police to deal with street racers.
