Teams of Birmingham police officers fanned out across the city Saturday evening in a massive operation aimed at cracking down on illegal street racing.
Numerous complaints from residents both downtown and on Southside, and the belief that some traffic fatalities in recent months stemmed from the illegal racing, led to Saturday night’s targeted enforcement.
“We have been having an ongoing issue with illegal street racing throughout the city and we’ve received a large number of complaints,” said South Precinct Capt. Harry Greenberg. “Officers have been addressing it, however they’re usually only able to stop a handful of cars and then everyone else scatters.”
Weekends, especially Saturday nights, are popular for the street racing. First Avenue North up to Third Avenue South, and many areas in between, are racing hot spots.
Teams of Birmingham police officers fanned out across the city Saturday evening in a massive operation aimed at cracking down on illegal street racing.
The operation teams were made up of patrol officers, detectives, task force officers and tactical officers. Jefferson County’s Star 1 helicopter hovered above, to provide coverage of the officers and to track vehicles.
At 7:15 p.m., police simultaneously flooded George Ward Park on Green Springs Highway and Sloss Furnace on 32nd Street North, both meeting points for racers and spectators. When they arrived at George Ward, there were about 30 vehicles in the parking lot. The park had already closed for the night.
The blocked off the entrance and exit, with more than a dozen patrol vehicles lining Green Springs. “We’ve been monitoring the areas of congregation,’' Greenberg said. “We wanted to focus on those, move in and take action.”
Many of those who were gathered at George Ward were issued citations. “There are all kinds of violations involved in street racing,’' the captain said. “Not only is a violation of state code to engage in racing, it’s also a violation of state law to watch it.”
“Once everyone was inside the park after dark, that is a violation of the city ordinance also,’' he said.
The number of citations issued in the overall operation was still being tallied and not immediately available.
In addition to the citations, one person was arrested after it was determined the suspect was in a Chevrolet Corvette that had been stolen out of Georgia. That person was also illegally in possession of a handgun and narcotics, Greenburg said.
“We consider this a crime suppression success,’' Greenberg said. “We’re not having any racing right now and we were able to confiscate a firearm, drugs and a stolen Corvette.”
Police said Saturday night’s operation was not a one-time thing. They will continue enforcement efforts across the entire city.
“Our hopes are to deter further activity,’' Greenberg said. “It poses a danger to the public and to the people involved and we view this as a life-saving measure by the department.”
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February 28, 2021 at 10:59AM
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Birmingham police crack down on illegal street racing in massive Saturday-night operation - AL.com
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