Boy racers then moved to Seaview, where tensions rose, and police were faced with bottles and fireworks hurled in their direction.
“Fortunately, no officers were injured, however this is completely reckless and unacceptable,” Hutt Valley Area Commander Inspector Wade Jennings said.
“Police are committed to disrupting any and all anti-social road-user behaviour – it puts our community members in harm’s way."
The police crackdown is part of the wider Operation Kereru, which has been going on in Wellington, Whanganui and Wairarapa regions throughout 2024 and 2025.
“We will continue to take action, whenever we can, to prevent damage to our roads and the unruly behaviour that comes with these activities,” Jennings said.
He said the constant anti-social behaviour is “very frustrating to our community”.
Earlier this year a 1000-person meet in Levin saw riot police called in after several people were injured, including two officers, and a woman’s legs run over.
The boy racer meet in and around Levin in May led to people being struck by cars, injured police, arrests, damage and disorder, including one a group setting fire to the road outside a Mobil petrol station.
At the time, the Police Minister labelled the boy racers involved in the destructive events “cowardly, try-hard idiots”.
In May, the Government announced new legislation targeting drivers who participate in street races.
It will see boy racers have their vehicles destroyed or forfeited in the majority of cases.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said in May the existing penalties “aren’t strong enough to deter this appalling behaviour”. He said police reporting found the frequency of anti-social road events was increasing and “enough is enough”.
“Kiwis are sick of seeing these idiot drivers putting everyone around them at risk, so we’re taking action through a range of much tougher penalties,” Bishop said at the time.
