Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Police crack down on street racers in Hamilton, issue 200 infringement notices

NZ Herald
29 Mar, 2022 07:48 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Police impounded nine vehicles during the sting at the weekend. Photo / NZME

Police impounded nine vehicles during the sting at the weekend. Photo / NZME

A secret police sting on hundreds of boy racers gathering in Hamilton at the weekend issued 200 infringement notices and impounded nine cars.

About 50 police officers from Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Counties Manukau districts gatecrashed the illegal street gathering of about 500 on Saturday night.

Waikato road policing manager inspector Jeff Penno said police took a zero-tolerance approach to the gatherings and focused on dangerous and illegal driving, compliance with driver licence conditions and vehicle safety standards.

The operation was planned after police learned hundreds of illegal street racers planned to meet in Waikato on Friday and Saturday nights.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.


"As always, the vast majority are vehicle enthusiasts and don't cause any real concerns or break the law, but these gatherings seem to encourage factions within these groups who undertake reckless and illegal acts that put other road users and themselves at risk and cause significant damage to roading infrastructure."

More than 200 infringement notices were issued over the two nights and police impounded nine vehicles for sustained loss of traction offending and licencing offences. A number of vehicles were also ordered off the road with significant vehicle faults.

Four people were charged with driving with excess breath alcohol.

Penno said Waikato Police were aware of public concerns and the disturbance this type of illegal behaviour causes those travelling on the roads or living in surrounding areas, and they would continue to deploy an array of overt and covert tactics to crack down on street racers.

In the past year, more than 70 vehicles have been impounded after Waikato Police followed up on information provided by the public or from supplied CCTV footage.

"Unfortunately the public don't always see us doing this work, but we invest heavily in holding drivers to account when the evidence is available."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

'Why the servility?': Helen Clark blasts Govt response to Iran strikes as 'disgrace'

01 Mar 03:00 AM
Waikato Herald

University of Waikato gifted $5m for environmental science research

01 Mar 01:00 AM
Waikato Herald

'Heard a couple of booms': High-profile Auckland restaurateurs stuck in Dubai

01 Mar 01:00 AM

Sponsored

Backing locals, every day

22 Feb 11:00 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

'Why the servility?': Helen Clark blasts Govt response to Iran strikes as 'disgrace'
Waikato Herald

'Why the servility?': Helen Clark blasts Govt response to Iran strikes as 'disgrace'

The former PM says the strikes on Iran breached international law and its sovereignty.

01 Mar 03:00 AM
University of Waikato gifted $5m for environmental science research
Waikato Herald

University of Waikato gifted $5m for environmental science research

01 Mar 01:00 AM
'Heard a couple of booms': High-profile Auckland restaurateurs stuck in Dubai
Waikato Herald

'Heard a couple of booms': High-profile Auckland restaurateurs stuck in Dubai

01 Mar 01:00 AM


Backing locals, every day
Sponsored

Backing locals, every day

22 Feb 11:00 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP