Dearborn police crack down on illegal street racing
Dearborn police stopped illegal street racing on Sunday. Officers were able to track down the vehicles involved and impound them, resulting in significant fines.
It's just one of many examples of the police department stepping up enforcement.
CBS News Detroit went on a ride-along with a member of the traffic enforcement team to learn what their job looks like every day.
Cpl. Brad Clair has been a member of the Dearborn Police Department for 12 years. He starts his day by calibrating his radar and making a quick stop at the car wash.
We then head to the intersection of Madison and McKinley for complaints of drivers not stopping at stop signs.
"The letter of the law is your vehicle should come to a complete stop. Realistically, so many people are ruling that you want to look for the car that makes no attempt. That's what I'm looking for," Clair said.
Within minutes of our arrival, a driver didn't stop.
"He was like, 'Yep, sorry officer," Clair said.
Clair then drove to another problem spot in the city on Outer Drive. It's where illegal street racing happened on Sunday night.
"We are impounding vehicles for reckless driving; we're also going through a vehicle forfeiture process. So, it's going to cost the registered owner quite a bit of money, time, and effort to get these vehicles back," said Cpl. Dan Bartok of the Dearborn Police Department. "It's not just a normal tow, and you go to the tow yard, and you pay a few dollars to get the car back."
During the day, speeding is no less of an issue.
Clair uses his radar to monitor speed for several minutes. While most drivers appeared to be going the limit or five over, a driver was caught going 53 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone.
"Definition of reckless driving is a want and disregard for safety," Clair said.
The drivers have not been arrested yet, but Dearborn police say they will be held responsible for their actions.
