CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A new ordinance kicks in Monday that aims to silence what’s become a recurring sound of summer.
Starting June 7, new ordinance will allow the Chicago Police Department to impound vehicles for the following offenses:
• Drivers caught drifting or spinning out on any street, highway, or other public way in the City of Chicago
• Riding motorcycles or cars that aren’t street legal in Chicago
• Covering up or not having license plates
Alderman Brendan Reilly, 42nd Ward, who co-sponsored the ordinance, which was approved by the Chicago City Council in April, said it "adds another tool in the toolbox for the Chicago Police Department to address this frustrating issue."
Reilly requested that the Chicago Police Department’s 1st and 18th Districts "work in tandem to conduct drag racing and drifting and motorcycle enforcement missions." He also asked CPD to conduct a show of force and publicize the results of their missions in order to show the drag racing community that this behavior is "unacceptable and violations will be strictly enforced."
Prior attempts to curb the problem include installing speed humps and police department cameras, raising fines for drag racing, and setting up zones that ban cruising along portions Lower Wacker Drive.
Chicago Police Commander Jake Aldernan, First District, told the Sun-Times it’s almost an everyday occurrence during warmer months to have motorcyclists ranging from “20 to over 800” drag racing through the downtown, the South Loop, and along the lakefront.
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