ATLANTA — The challenge for police has been whenever they shut down a street racing event in one place, they seem to just pop up someplace else.
Atlanta police have added extra patrols and gotten help from the state and other departments, but the racers keep disrupting local streets.
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So far, the warnings have not slowed the racers down. In April, several local police agencies did combine to bust one group in South Fulton, arresting nearly 80 people and impounded 45 cars.
Ahead of the weekend, Atlanta police made it known on social media that if you are caught street racing in the city, you will go to jail.
Over the past five days, two different videos posted to social media showed street racers and ATV/Dirt Bike riders continue to gathering around the city.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Audrey Washington got one video from Bill White, the Chairmain of the Buckhead City Committee showing street racers in action on Northside Drive.
“As far as the drag racing, within in a week we had a major one over at Mount Paran church. A beautiful church on Northside Drive,” White said.
According to White, Buckhead has a real problem on its hands with multiple street racing and ATV rider issues plaguing the streets at night.
“Not only is the drag racing an assertion of control on the intersection because they don’t allow anyone from the four directions to pass through and they’re there for as much as an hour,” said White.
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Wednesday, Atlanta police posted video of an ATV and dirt bike group blocking McDonough Blvd. When officers tried to break up the street racing, they took off and a police officer broke his wrist trying to stop them.
Police were able to arrest two of the riders, one on McDonough Blvd. and the other in Clayton County after a helicopter followed him to Riverdale Rd.
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For Bill White, having racers block traffic and create havoc is a problem not just in his community, but the entire Metro Atlanta area.
“I think it’s a real slap in the face because it’s the most unwelcome thing we can have in our neighborhood. It’s the most unwelcomed thing to have in any neighborhood,” White said.
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