"It's extremely important that we do all we can do to provide the Dallas Police Department and the City with the necessary tools to address this dangerous driving and selfish behavior that's going on in our city right now," said Council Member Jaime Resendez.
DPD has been working with the City Attorney's office for several months to draft the new ordinance. DPD representatives told Council Members earlier this year that the illegal races are frequently organized in advance on social media with the goal of attracting spectators, so targeting those spectators for extra enforcement would be one way to make those races less attractive.
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The ordinance will also allow the police department to seize the cars used by street racers in some cases.
"I hope that week can see some major crackdowns on this illegal stuff," said Council Member Omar Narvaez. "We've lost too many lives."
One man was killed in February when he was struck by a car that police say was involved in street racing in southeast Dallas. Another death in late April in southeast Oak Cliff was also blamed on illegal street racing.