COLUMBUS – City officials are planning to crack down on illegal drag racing on the streets of Columbus as the activity ramps up in the spring and summer.
Mayor Andrew Ginther, City Attorney Zach Klein and Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant on Wednesday outlined steps the city is taking to target illegal drag racing and hold offenders “accountable for endangering public safety,” they said in a joint release.
“We want the message to be clear. You race, you lose. It is that simple. If you race, we will find you and arrest you, and impound your vehicle,” Bryant said.
The announcement came a few days after gunshots were fired in the direction of police officers responding to a large street-racing incident in Clintonville and another case where a person was killed in a crash believed to be connected to street racing on the South Side.
Officials have received complaints from residents and business owners about street racing in multiple neighborhoods across the city.
The plan calls for police and prosecutors to disrupt drag racing networks, make arrests, impound vehicles, and prosecute related crimes, such weapons offenses, rioting, and property damage, officials said.
Enforcement and prosecution of reckless driving offenses have been a top priority recently, with Columbus City Council passing an ordinance in 2021 enhancing penalties for illegal, reckless operation of certain vehicles on city streets, and in carrying out Operation Wheels Down last year, a coordinated effort to crack down on the illegal and reckless operation of dirt bikes and ATVs on city streets.
The operation resulted dozens of arrests, the recovery of several stolen guns and vehicles and the seizure of additional vehicles, Klein said.
“During Operation Wheels Down, we impounded vehicles and aggressively prosecuted offenders. We’re going to do the same for drag racing—and make our streets safer in the process,” he said.