Mayor Quinton Lucas announces new plans for tackling illegal street racing, break-in epidemic

Public safety community meeting at KC Library on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. // Photo by Soffia Hernandez

A public safety committee meeting where council members and Mayor Quinton Lucas addressed concerns about ongoing threats to the community, such as sideshows, saw heated discussion last night at the Kansas City Public Library: Plaza Branch.

Hot topics like police and jail funding, break-ins, and illegal street racing were met with a myriad of responses from attending community members.

Mayor Quinton Lucas addressed the public to discuss “sideshowing,” or illegal street racing, which has been a growing problem for Kansas City in the last few years. As recently as Sunday night, KCPD busted another illegal racing event. In total, two were arrested, six vehicles were towed, and 57 citations were given. Police also claim that some of the cars involved were reported stolen.

In the public meeting, Mayor Lucas proposed amendments to ordinance 240724, recommending penalties that would increase fines but not jail time. 

When asked what other deterrents would be used, the mayor referenced existing infrastructure barriers that discourage illegal racing.

“Our public works department has worked fairly closely with Kansas City police and other city agencies to ensure we were doing the work. There were pucks that were installed under streets, and there continues to be that activity and that collaboration between public works and the police department itself,” says Mayor Quinton Lucas.

Tracking results also remains a critical concern to accurately record crime prevention progress through environmental design. 

“You’re looking at the calls, reports of activity, citations, and others to see if there’s a reduction in the number of 911 calls relating to sideshow activity throughout the city. While this ordinance does not lay out how best to track progress, typically, that’s the type of report we would get,” the mayor says.

Public safety community meeting at KC Library on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. // Photo by Soffia Hernandez

The changes would amend Chapter 70 in the Code of Ordinances by rescinding two of three sections currently in practice and replacing them with the mayor’s recommended sections. Punishment and fees for spectators of the dangerous pastime will undergo no changes.

Public safety community meeting at KC Library on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. // Photo by Soffia Hernandez

Mayor Quinton Lucas’s recommendations include a $250 fine and 30 days of jail time for illegal racing and burnouts; The second violation will be met with a $500 fine and 60 days in jail; third offense would include a $1,000 fine and six months of jail time. The third section in the Code of Ordinances under the mayor’s amendments would allow law enforcement to impound and assess any vehicle that is a part of these events. In conjunction with the third section, Mayor Quinton Lucas’s proposed amendments would also lower the standard for seizing vehicles involved; The precedent requiring a search warrant no longer applies, but instead, only reasonable suspicion would be the new standard.

It was also noted in the meeting that many of the vehicles involved in sideshowing events are the same makes being stolen around the country at alarming rates: Kia and Hyundai. 

In April this year, dozens were arrested in Kansas City and Kansas City, Kansas for performing the illegal, dangerous stunts. The threat is not a dense one, either; There have been two deaths in the Kansas City metro area in just the last two years that have occurred as a result. In 2022, a spectator was run over and succumbed to his injuries while in 2023, a man was shot at a sideshow event near Meyer Boulevard–he also died.

One man, who introduced himself as ‘Charles,’ addressed the council: “It [sideshowing] brings a lot of community members in. KC police tweeted yesterday that they were in an environment where hundreds of criminals chose not to obey the law. I would like to remind the council that these are women, children, and young men who have a love for cars.”

Another person who shared concerns was Diane Allen, who took the podium and countered support to sideshowing.

“What I am witnessing is they’re parking in front of my house and these events look dangerous. The last time that it happened at my house, there were three gunshots prior to the activity starting,” says Allen.

In response to several attendees following the meeting, the mayor announced a fund to supplement local business owners who have suffered from recent break-ins. The Back to Business Fund offers compensation for repairs following the burglaries, as well as financial assistance for prevention measures.

The fund will be discussed tomorrow at City Barrel in Waldo at 12:45 p.m.