By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph police are attempting to crack down on racing in the streets as well as large gatherings in parking lots in which drivers peel rubber and do burn outs.
St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says the department has fielded a number of calls on the issue of late.
“Really, from a public safety standpoint, the racing on the streets, even the burnouts in the parking lot, they all just pose a really significant risk to public safety,” Luster tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “High speeds, reckless driving, that can all lead to serious accidents resulting in injuries, even fatalities for participants or even innocent bystanders alike.”
A recent saturation effort conducted by the St. Joseph Police Department, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol resulted in four arrests and 22 tickets issued.
Luster says his officers are determined to crack down on the practice.
“Just the community concern is really what prompted us and we don’t want to see these things happening in St. Joseph or growing,” Luster says. “These activities, they just disrupt our community I believe. You have the noise pollution, the property damage, the unsafe conditions they cause for everyone; our residents, families, children and that increased danger.”
They might be portrayed as innocent fun, but Luster says such activities can lead to dangerous situations.
“It can get out of hand. It can grow really quickly. There can be disturbances. And what worries me, we’ve talked about it before, what 30 years ago was settled with some pushing and shoving and maybe a fist being thrown, is now solved with knives and guns.”
Luster says St. Joseph police want to intervene prior to things getting out of control.
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.