‘Not in Fresno.’ Leaders say they will crack down on street racing and sideshows

Oct 25, 2023

Fresno city leaders and law enforcement said Monday they’ve kicked off the "not in Fresno" campaign to make street racing and sideshows less appealing in town.

The city's street racing unit is fully staffed, leaders said during a news conference that mirrored an event in April when officials said they would crack down on spectators at illegal racing events.

Mayor Jerry Dyer on Monday said Fresno's central location in the state can make it an attractive place for people from other parts to meet for stunt driving.

"Not in Fresno. That is our message today: Not in Fresno," he said. "It's not worth it. The danger's not worth it. The arrest or citation is not worth it. Certainly the impounding of your vehicle for 30 days and the costs associated with that is not worth it."

The city has funded 10 officers and a sergeant for the street racing unit, officials said. Leaders also said they hope the threat of impound will add to the effort.

Officials announced a hotline 621-RACE for anyone to report tips or information related to street racing and sideshows.

The city is on the same pace at 20 as it was last year with the number of deaths from car crashes, Chief Paco Balderrama said.

"Besides taking enforcement action and writing citations and towing cars, we want to inform the public," he said. "We do have a no tolerance in the city of Fresno for sideshows and street racing."

While most of the fatal crashes in Fresno have not come from street racing or sideshows, leaders say enforcement can help prevent deaths from careless driving.

Sideshows are loosely organized events where drivers and spectators block off an intersection so that others car spin doughnuts or perform burnouts with their tires.

Councilmember Mike Karbassi has been pushing for safety improvements and warning of the dangers of reckless driving after the death of a 17-year-old on the day after Christmas in 2020.

Allison Chang, a student who was soon headed to college, was with her two cousins when an 18-year-old street racing slammed into their car near Palm and Bullard avenues, killing all three of them and himself, according to police.

"The public deserves to feel safe on our neighborhood roads," Karbassi said Monday.

Balderrama stressed that anyone who witnesses street racing or sideshows as they are happening should report them to 911.

The hotline 559-621-RACE is for other tips related to the events.