DALLAS (KRLD) - Dallas Police are asking the Dallas City Council for a new ordinance that would make it illegal to watch or make a video recording of an illegal street race. It's one of several recommendations they're making to the Council to help crack down on street racing.
"Spectators give street racing a voice, and it makes it a sport," Assistant Chief Lonzo Anderson told members of the City Council's Public Safety Committee. "So if you take the spectators out of it - it's no longer a sport. The ordinance would make it an offense to be present at a street race for the purpose of viewing or recording the event. More important, it applies to both public property and private property."
Police say the races are frequently organized through social media, and some can draw hundreds of spectators.
"I completely agree the spectators' accountability is something that's huge," said Council Member Adam Bazaldua, "and I can't wait to support an ordinance that will get aggressive with that."
Police are also urging the Council to pass a new ordinance that would make it easier to target the owners of businesses that allow street racers to gather on their property. The city's legal team is working on those proposals and could bring an ordinance back for the Council's review as early as March.
