WESTLAKE, Ohio — Westlake Police are stepping up enforcement efforts around Crocker Park and Crocker Road as they work to curb a growing problem involving reckless and destructive driving.
The initiative comes as officers respond to an increase in complaints about speeding, street racing, engine revving and burnouts in the highly traveled shopping and entertainment space.
According to Westlake Police Captain Jerry Vogel, the problem has steadily worsened over the past several years, particularly during the warmer months when more people are out shopping, dining, and gathering in the area.
“We’re not going to stand for it anymore. Residents are sick of it, so we will take enforcement action on it,” Vogel said.
Dash camera video provided by the department captures the sounds of tires screeching and engines revving in and around Crocker Park, as they pull over drivers.
Police say activity involving reckless driving in the area has nearly doubled year over year, according to their data.
Officials point to speeding, racing, burnouts, and excessively loud vehicles as some of the most common problems.
The department is now launching saturation patrols that include marked and unmarked police vehicles, increased foot patrols and targeted traffic enforcement operations.
“We will stem this tide right now by this initiative,” Vogel said. “There will be a lot of traffic stops, a lot of tickets written for burnouts, for loud cars, for revving your engine.”
The enhanced enforcement efforts will focus primarily on Friday and Saturday nights, when officers say activity typically increases, especially after 8 p.m.
But it will happen every day in some capacity.
While ticketing drivers is one goal, Vogel says the larger goal here is to send a clear message that reckless driving will not be tolerated.
“Driving recklessly in the middle of a highly populated area with a lot of pedestrians, younger drivers and high-performance vehicles could be a recipe for disaster,” Vogel said.
Police say resident and shopper complaints helped drive the initiative. Many of the reckless driving incidents involve drivers between the ages of 16 and 25.
Fortunately, officials say no serious injuries have been reported. However, Vogel noted there have been cases where drivers doing burnouts lost control and crashed into parking garage walls.
Police hope the increased presence will prevent a tragedy before someone is seriously injured or killed.
“Drive up there, enjoy Crocker Park — just don’t show off your car up there or your motorcycle,” Vogel said.
