Kansas City police asking for help to stop dangerous street racing, sideshows
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City police investigators are taking the next step toward fighting dangerous street racing.
The new email address [email protected] is meant to give witnesses to sideshows direct access to police patrols.
KCPD detectives are concerned some potential victims aren’t reporting these situations because they don’t see the late-night gatherings as a crime. Others may not be comfortable calling 911.
“Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt,” Arianna Henriquez, a hairstylist at Salon on Grand, does business a few blocks from the Power and Light District. That entertainment area has proven to be a popular spot for street racers and those who gather to watch.
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“Concerns for me aren’t even the safety of the people in the car, but also the people around the car. They could run into a building or someone’s being a bystander and not quite by it. They could get hurt,” Henriquez said.
It’s against the law to gather to watch illegal street racing in Kansas City, Missouri. During the month of May, patrol officers cracked down on this nuisance, writing 36 tickets, towing nine cars and arresting four people. The police department’s media unit also said at least two car crashes were related to sideshows.
“If we have information that something is going to occur or we believe it’s going to occur, we can dedicate resources and drive those resources to what we believe is going to happen so we can be a little more preventative and get out ahead of it,” KCPD Sgt. Phil DiMartino said on Wednesday.
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One employee at Messenger Coffee on Grand told FOX4 he sometimes sees sideshows in the street as early as five o-clock in the afternoon. Sgt. DiMartino adds that people should also feel free to call 911 if they see illegal street racing since it may save someone’s life.
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