Hundreds of charges laid and 70 people arrested in street racing bust, police say

A York Regional Police-led investigation into illegal street racing groups across the GTA has resulted in hundreds of charges, police say.

At a Tuesday morning newsconference, police said that an investigation into street racingcalled Project Takeoverhas led to 279 provincial offence charges, 67 criminal charges, 70 arrests, 57 licence suspensions and 62 impounded vehicles.

"These groups were highly organized,focused on illegally taking over intersections, pre-arranging street races and stunt demonstrations for hundreds of attendees at locations across the GTA," York police Chief Jim MacSween said of the targeted street racing organizers.

Police say they were able to track street racing groups through surveillance technology,social media and with York police's helicopter.

"To tackle the growing sophistication of these groups, we targeted not only the organizers of these groups but the participants of them as well," MacSween said.

The Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police and Ontario Provincial Police worked closely with Yorkthroughout the investigation that began in May 2021, he added.

York police Sgt. Chi Bhatt says street racing organizers attempt to evade police by constantly moving locations. And that is why, he says, it is crucial thatpolice forcescontinue to work closely together.

"They move from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, hoping that we are going to stop our enforcement efforts once we reach a border," Bhatt says.

"But wherever they go, we will be there as a group."

The GTA has seen a large increase in stunt driving and street racing since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

"Racing on our roads and highways has reached historic levels in 2020," OPP Deputy Commissioner Rose Di Marco said. "OPP officers laid 8,270 charges last year against drivers who were travelling 50 km/h over the speed limit."

The Ontario government recently brought forward legislation that introduces harsher penalties against people caught stunt driving or street racing. Driver's licence suspensions have increased from seven days to 30 day suspensions, and vehicle impoundment periods have increased from seven to 14 days.

In a news release on Project Takeover, police say that they will continue to combat street racing across the GTA through Project Erase, an annual investigationinto street racing that takes place throughoutthe summer.