Govt moves to crush racers’ cars

Tuesday, 20 August 2024

Boy racers could again face having their cars crushed as the Government looks to beef up laws to deal with incidents like one in which police officers narrowly escaped injury as a ute rammed them at an illegal meet.

And police advocates are calling for the courts to wield any new penalties to make an example of dangerous anti-social drivers to deter others and keep the public safe.

The moves come after officers had to retreat from a gathering of hundreds of illegal racers just north of Hamilton in the early hours of Sunday, some leaping for their lives as a white ute reversed at speed into a patrol car.

Police recovered a “freshly painted ute” in Huntly and arrested an 18-year-old Ōtorohanga man on Monday. They’d earlier ruled out a pair pictured on Sunday in CCTV from before the incident, saying the ute was stolen and they were not involved.

The 18-year-old man was charged with intentional damage causing danger to life, dangerous driving, and receiving stolen property. The charges relate to one of four police car ramming incidents - one which knocked a police officer to the ground, a statement from Detective Sergeant Matt Lee said.

“Hostile individuals” at the scene also threw things and shone lasers at officers, and let off fireworks, Lee said.

The lawless scene was a symptom of a massive culture shift in the last decade, Police Minister Mark Mitchell said - one he said the Government would crack down on with new legislation.

He remained tight-lipped on details but the changes would mean tougher consequences, giving police more power to seize, retain and crush vehicles.

Mitchell said police were good at disrupting these types of events, but this time were outnumbered and safety must come first.

“What we saw on Saturday night was completely unacceptable.

“Thankfully, nobody was injured, but it could have easily been a different outcome.”

An increasing number of people were attending these events and becoming more violent.

“These people go out with the intent to cause a whole lot of harm and grief for communities and have zero respect for police.”

In 2009 then-Police Minister Judith Collins was dubbed ‘Crusher Collins’ for similar laws. But two years after it was passed no cars had been destroyed.

Police Association president Chris Cahill says the courts need to send a message that such behaviour will not be tolerated.

“Because it can't continue to escalate the way it is.”

Safety was increasingly at risk when a few officers were dealing with a large group of vehicles, Cahill said.

“The idea that these are boy racers, that's just playing down what these offenders are, they're actually dangerous offenders.

“I think what needs to happen is that when you're catching the worst of these offenders, they need to consider the serious nature of the charges they lay and the courts needs to send a message to those offenders that this won't be tolerated.

“The reality is that someone could have ended up dead from that behaviour the other night, and it’s hell of a lot different than getting in your vehicle and doing a doughnut, the courts need to reflect that.”

Cahill was concerned these incidents were becoming increasingly normal, shifting from anti-social driving behaviour to an opportunity to confront police and start serious disorder if not violence.

“We’re pretty lucky we're not dealing with someone that's been seriously injured, whether it's a member of the public or a police officer.”

The officers could have been jammed between moving vehicles if they were standing only inches away.

The flat deck of the ute could work as a decapitating device and if officers had suffered crushing injuries, they would have been life threatening, he said.

Several videos from the incident in Horotiu, just north of the city, made rounds on social media after a ‘Hamilton Invasion’ meet drew hundreds of street racers to the area for illegal and dangerous drifting in the early hours Sunday.

This was especially difficult to manage when things moved briskly from one location to another, like it did in this instance - from the Base to Horotiu Bridge Road intersection.

While police roster staff to be available during such events, Cahill said the demand from every sector was usually always high.

“Police are pretty stretched.

“So they're going to do the best they can, but at times they're going to certainly not have sufficient numbers to be able to police all these things and it's very difficult.

“But I think that's why when the courts have their part to play.”

Detective Sergeant Matt Lee said the 18-year-old from Ōtorohanga was bailed to appear in the Hamilton District Court on Friday.

Since Saturday’s gathering, five vehicles had been impounded, 100 infringements issued, as well as 20 green stickers and eight pink stickers.

Police would be “making every effort to hold people to account for their dangerous and violent actions” and want to hear from anyone who can help.

Information can be provided via 105, referencing file number 240818/1998, or anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.