Dragster Team : Police Rev Up to Challenge Illegal Racers at Starting Line

Pleading with them hasn’t worked. Impounding their cars has provided only a temporary solution. And arresting them doesn’t seem to leave any impression, police said.

Now about 25 police officers in the San Fernando Valley want to try a new tactic in the fight with nighttime street racers: competing against them.

The officers--some of whom are professional racers, skilled mechanics or simply race enthusiasts in their spare time--have formed the Los Angeles Peace Officers Drag Racing Team. Team members say they hope to get official approval to tempt the illegal racers off the streets by challenging them to races at Los Angeles County Raceway near Palmdale.

“We like racing, and they like racing. We just don’t like their type of racing,” said Sgt. Jim Grubbs, leader of the recently formed police team. “What we’re trying to do might sound a little strange, but we think it will work.”

Program Tried Elsewhere

It is a strategy that has been used by at least two other police departments outside California that were faced with the problem of illegal street racing. And, although officials at those police agencies could not say whether it has discouraged street racing, both reported that the effort has led to a dramatic improvement in relations between racers and police.

“Street drag racers don’t usually mix very well with police and the general public,” Grubbs said. “But we feel that, if we give these kids a chance to race against cops, it may impress on them that, No. 1, cops are OK and they’re just like everyone else, and, No. 2, racing’s a fine sport, but you’ve got to do it where it’s safe for everyone involved.”

The police team’s primary drawing card in the effort was unveiled last week--a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro that has been remodeled to look like a Los Angeles Police Department squad car. The car, which was redesigned with about $25,000 worth of donated parts from several corporate sponsors, will be used as the police team’s entry in challenge matches against the street racers, said Officer Tony Foti, who owns the car.

Street racers who want to challenge the police will be up against tough competition, Foti said. The car, equipped with a 487-cubic-inch engine, can reach 160 m.p.h. It will be driven by Foti, a professional racer who has won many drag heats.

Awaiting Approval

The group’s proposal is awaiting approval from Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates and the city attorney’s office. There are liability concerns over possible injuries in the races. A spokesman for the city attorney’s office said he could not comment on the proposal until it is officially presented to his office.

But Grubbs and his boss, Capt. Al Fried, said they are optimistic that the plan will get the go-ahead within the next few months.

“We think it’s a good idea because everybody likes a good race--if the conditions are right,” said Fried, a street racer during his youth who is now commanding officer of the department’s Valley Traffic Division. “With a little luck, this idea should be in place by January or February.”

Liability problems could be skirted, Fried said, by making sure that the Los Angeles city seal is not emblazoned on the police race car. The car now bears the city seal, but officers said they are not against painting it over if necessary.

School Teams Envisioned

If the city approves, racing officers will try to interest students in competing weekly on the track. Eventually, the officers would like to see student racing teams formed at each high school to compete, not only against them, but also against each other.

Police racing teams have been started by the Salt Lake City Police Department and by officers in the small city of Port Orchard, Wash.

Salt Lake City Officer Kevin Meik said his department has been operating its “Race-A-Cop” program since 1979, using an old squad car that was modified for a potential top speed of about 120 m.p.h.

“We get a good crop of kids out there every Wednesday night when we have our grudge matches,” Meik said. “We’ve had no problems at all, although we don’t do any recruiting in the schools. The kids just come out on their own. . . . It’s hard to say if it’s reduced illegal street racing. But we feel it’s had a good effect because we think the kids at least understand us a little better. The races give us a chance to mingle.”

Ran Out of Money

Joe Mathews, chief of police in Port Orchard, said his department ran an old police car called “The Enforcer” against street racers for four years until the program had to be dropped earlier this year because the 12-officer squad did not have enough money to maintain the car.

“It was great while it lasted because it really let us get together with the kids in a non-confrontational manner,” Mathews said. “I think they listened to us a little bit more after they saw that what we did in our free time was what they did in theirs.”

Valley police acknowledge that the hope of ridding streets of illegal racing by starting the police team may be a long shot. But they say it’s worth a try.

“Racing has been going on in the streets since day one, and nothing that we do seems to work,” Sgt. Dennis Zine said. “We’ve tried pleading with them, arresting them and just generally trying to make their lives difficult. But they just continue to race. I don’t know if this idea will work, but it’s at least something to consider.”

Grubbs said he has not approached school officials about contacting students who may wish to race against the police. But Sidney Thompson, associate superintendent of Los Angeles school operations, said he does not foresee any problems.

“It sounds like a great idea because kids are getting killed or injured all the time from racing,” Thompson said. “There might be a question of liability. And we’d want to make sure that this is something that the kids do in their own spare time. But generally, I’d like to see the kids get a place to race. And, if the police are involved, that’s fine.”

Besides racing against the illegal street racers, Grubbs said, the police team intends to enter the mock police car in professional races. Foti would drive, and other officers would form the pit crew.

Any profits made by the police team would go toward maintenance of the police race car and encouraging teen-agers to stop racing on city streets, Grubbs said. Some profits also might go into the Police Department’s memorial fund, Foti said.