City leaders stepping in to shut down street racing in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Illegal street racing and burnouts have become a crisis across Kansas City. It’s why city leaders say they’re stepping in like never before to help shut things down.

Sherae Honeycutt, a spokeswoman for Kansas City, said they’re working hand in hand with KCPD to prevent these sideshows.

“We are asking KCPD, and we are working with KCPD on enforcement,” Honeycutt said. “We’ve told them a few ordnances that we would really love to see ramped up.”

Those ordinances include racing on streets and highways, burnouts, ATVs, dirt bikes, and other loud motorized off-road vehicles driving aggressively and dangerously on city streets.

“These behaviors are not safe,” Honeycutt said.

READ MORE: Kansas City officials explain process behind road paving for 2024-25

Grooves are going up in more intersections where these sideshows happen.

“We are also doing infrastructure in different intersections across the city by putting in the groves here to slow cars down and deter them that are averse to the area,” Honeycutt said.

Amr Nabaah lives at the Two Light apartments near Truman and Grand, where grooves have been put in the intersection, and says he still sees and hears groups meeting up.

“Lots of cars racing, there’s been a lot of motorcycles, groups of bikes, all making sounds with their engines,” Nabaah said. “There’s been a lot of noise. I have to use a lot of noise cancelation. Sometimes, I even have to change rooms, honestly.”

KCPD said stopping these dangerous activities are of top priority and are ramping up resources on both sides of the state line. They are also working with city council to increase fines and penalties.

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.