Dartford Borough Council Leader Jeremy Kite reinforced the serious threat posed by ongoing street racing and dangerous driving at Crossways Boulevard during a meeting with a senior police officer today.
Although responsibility for enforcement primarily lies with police, the Council has offered to make available resources and expertise to deploy cameras to identify and prosecute drivers to end the nightmare faced by local residents nearby.
Local representatives have already welcomed the Council’s decision to implement a Public Spaces Protection Order and place its powers at the disposal of Kent Police but Councillor Kite says he wants to help the police go further by utilising the experience and equipment the council currently uses to tackle other serious environmental crimes. The PSPO bans car cruising, wheel spins, racing and performing stunts, along with the recording of these types of activities but Dartford Council say only effective prosecutions and sanctions will stop the nuisance.
Leader of the Council Jeremy Kite MBE said: “This persistent antisocial behaviour cannot go on. It is wrecking the lives of local people.”
“This might primarily be an issue for the police but we need to work together to support them and use all the means at our disposal. The key to this is to identify vehicles and driving behaviour with sufficient accuracy to support a prosecution. As well as immediate sanctions, that opens the door to flagging the behaviour of policy holders to their motor insurers and others who may have no clue the vehicles are being driven anti-socially.
“We have done our bit by establishing a PSPO, but local people are desperate to see prosecutions and an end to this problem. This kind of driving is harmful and dangerous and needs to be stopped, installing this technology is another way the Council can help police bring it to an end.”