Kent seeing a big change after working to address street racing

KENT, Wash. — For decades, street racing has been a long-standing and vicious cycle on Kent’s streets.

The danger reached a breaking point last May, when five people were shot at a weekend race.

“Things were not good at all. There was violence, a lot of shootings, road rage, street racing,” says business owner, Nancy. She says nearly every weekend there was street racing near her store.

“It was scary,” says Kent Mayor, Dana Ralph.

Ralph says despite that horrific night last May, things are different now.

“It’s our prosecutors, our police officers, our public works department,” credits Ralph. “It’s really figuring out, how are we smarter than the street racers and how do we make it so they can’t do what they want to do.”

In the last year, the city has been working to install ‘no racing’ street signs and barricades along near some of the city’s racing hot-spots. Ralph says they’ve also worked to hire more police officers, while advocating for more state legislation.

“We had been talking to the legislature before that about putting some teeth in the laws,” says Ralph. She testified in support of Senate Bill 5606, which went into effect in January.

Some of the takeaways from SB 5606 include:

• Updates the definition of gross misdemeanor racing in RCW 46.61.530 to include drifting and other stunt driving

• Racing is a crime on both public roadways and upon any private property that is publicly accessible

• Anyone who aids/abets illegal racing may be charged as an accomplice

• Clarifies that racing charges can be prosecuted in either the jurisdiction where racing occurred or where the event was planned, organized, & promoted

• Encourages law enforcement agencies to undertake a public education campaign about the dangers and illegality of street racing

• Updates state impound laws to allow vehicles used in racing to be impounded with a 72-hour hold

• Allows for the seizure/forfeiture of racers’ vehicles upon a second or subsequent racing conviction

Businesses owners in Kent say the difference is stark, when it comes to a decrease in street racing this year.

“I’ve noticed a big change. The entire drag racing situation seems to have halted,” says Kathy. “That particular issue I’m not concerned about right now. Which is a miracle.”

Ralph says in the last year there’s been 95 arrests related to local street racing.

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