Item 22 - Ord. Adding Article XV (Street Racing) , Sections 36-706 through 36-710, to the SAMC

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Ordinance Adding Article XV, Sections 36-706 through 36-710, Entitled "Street Racing" to the Santa Ana Municipal Code April 20, 2021 Page 2 6 5 2 released anti-racing video. The Police Department continues to educate about the dangers of street racing and reckless driving exhibitions and about legal and safe alternative locations, such as the Irwindale Speedway. Finally, the Police Department has established a partnership with several other law enforcement agencies throughout the County who have been experiencing an increase in street racing and reckless driving exhibitions. The partnership works together to combat street racing and reckless driving exhibitions on a weekly basis. To date, the partnership has completed over 95 enforcement programs. The Santa Ana Police Department has experienced an increase in calls for service related to speed races and reckless driving exhibitions. Drivers and spectators use social media to coordinate these events, which often result in hundreds of spectators. Although most enforcement action centers around the drivers involved in street racing and reckless driving, exhibition scenes also heavily involve spectators. Spectators in the hundreds come and watch these unlawful activities and typically block all sides of an intersection, virtually stopping all traffic flow. These actions interfere with the police response and facilitate the ability for involved drivers to flee. As a result, some law enforcement agencies have adopted ordinances that ban spectating at street racing events. Such ordinances provide an effective tool to combat dangerous activities by curbing and/or eliminating spectators, with the ultimate goal of eliminating street racing in the City altogether. The City has evaluated the needs and concerns of the community in recommending the adoption of an ordinance relating to street racing. Specifically, the proposed ordinance (Exhibit 1) will provide law enforcement with additional enforcement and deterrence tools in its ongoing goal to mitigate street racing and reckless driving exhibitions. The provisions of the ordinance include the following: The ordinance will allow the Police Department to issue misdemeanor citations to any person who is knowingly present as a spectator of a street race or reckless driving exhibition on a public street, highway, or off-street parking facility. The ordinance defines "present" as a person who is within two hundred (200) feet of the location of a motor vehicle speed contest or reckless driving exhibition or within two hundred (200) feet of the site of the preparations for either of these activities. A violation of this ordinance may be punishable as a misdemeanor subject to a maximum of six months in jail and a fine of $1,000. Staff recommends approval of the ordinance.