A push to end illegal street racing

Vince Fong talks with 23ABC concerning his recent bill to curb illegal street racing.

DURING A STREET RACING INCIDENTIN BAKERSFIELD.DURING THAT TIME, REPORTS OFSTREET RACING CONTINUE, ASLOCAL LEADERS ARE LOOKING TOCRACK DOWN ON THE PROBLEM.23ABC'S KYLIE WALKER HAS MOREWITH LOCAL ASSEMBLYMANVINCE FONG AND WHAT HE'S PUSHINGTO BRING AN END TOILLEGAL RACING.WE HEAR IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THENIGHT ..

WE OFTEN TIMES SEE THEMSPEEDING THROUGH STREETS ORDOING DONUTS INTHE INTERSECTION ..

IN SOMEINSTANCES..

LEADING TOTRAGIC OUTCOMES..

BUT A NEWPROPOSED BILL COULD SOONINCREASE PENALTIES SURROUNDINGILLEGAL STREETRACING."UPON CONVICTION OF ANEXHIBITION OFSPEED CITATION ..

A JUDGE WOULDHAVE THE ABILITY TO REMOVESOMEONE'SLICENSE FOR UP TO 6 MONTHS ..

"STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER VINCEFONGS ..

PROPOSED BILL..EXHIBITION OF SPEED INCLUDES..."IF YOU ARE CITED FOR EXHIBITIONOF SPEEDIT IS ENGAGING IN RECKLESSDRIVING..

IT IS SOMEONE THAT ISDOING A DONUT THATIS PEELING OUT ..

THAT IS DOINGEVERYTHING LEADING UP TO ASTREET RACE."FONG SAYS THIS REMAINS A CONCERNTHROUGHOUT THESTATE, AND CALLS FOR IT HAVE NOTSLOWED DOWN"25,000 CALLS THAT THE LAWENFORCEMENT HAS GOTTEN ..

CHPHAS SEEN A 300PERCENT SURGE IN CITATIONSTHEY'VE ISSUED."FONG SAYS HE WANTS TO GIVE LAWENFORCEMENTEVERY TOOL POSSIBLE TO DETOURTHIS BEHAVIOUR SO THEY CAN FOCUSON OTHER CRIMES...."THEY WANT TO BE RESPONDING TOTHEROBBERIES..

THE VIOLENT CRIMES..

BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO TAKERESOURCESTHAT ARE ALREADY SCARCE AND VERYPRECIOUS AND NOW HAVING TODEDICATE IT TO COMBAT ILLEGALSTREET RACING .."AND HERE IN KERN COUNTY... SGTROBERT PAIR WITH THE BAKERSFIELDPOLICE DEPARTMSAYS IN 2020 WE ARRESTEDAPPROXIMATELY 205 PEOPLE FORSTREET RACING OFFENSES.FONG WANTS CONSEQUENCES TO BEMORE SEVERE... ASOUTCOMES ARE OFTEN TIMESTRAGIC..."WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF FAMILIESTHROUGHOUT THE STATE OFCALIFORNIA WHO HAVE APPROACHEDUS ANDSHARE WITH US THEIRHEARTBREAKING STORIES OF THEIRTEENAGE KIDS ORTHEIR LOVED ONES THAT HAVE BEENKILLED ON THE ROADS.."THIS BILL HAS MOVED OUT OFASSEMBLY AND FONG SAYS HE ISHOPEFUL AND OPTIMISTIC THAT THEBILL WILL GET THROUGTHE SENATE IN THE COMING MONTHS..

EVENTUALLY TOGET TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK BYTHE FALL .."NOW WE ARE TAKING A DEEPER DIVEAT THE NUMBERSASSOCIATED WITH STREET RACING TOGIVE YOU MORE CONTEXT.ACCORDING TO BAKERSFIELD POLICEIN 2020 THEY RECEIVEDAPPROXIMATELY 6 THOUSAND 266CALLS FOR SERVICEREGARDING STREET RACING.IN 2021 UP TO THE BEGINNING OFAPRIL THERE HAVE BEEN 1 THOUSAND567 CALLS IN THREE MONTHS.12 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FORSPEED CONTESTS IN THEFIRST THREE MONTHS.49 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FORRECKLESS DRIVING RELATEDTO STREET RACING.61 VEHICLES HAVE BEEN SEIZEDRELATED TO STREET RACINGENFORCEMENT.THE VEHICLE CODE SECTIONS FORSPEED CONTESTS ANDRECKLESS DRIVING AREMISDEMEANORS, AND ARECONSIDERED ARRESTS AND NOTCITATIONS.KERN COUNTY REMAINS IN THEORAN