Local leaders ask for help from state lawmakers to crack down on ‘hooning’

DAYTON — Local leaders are asking for help from state lawmakers to crack down on street racing, street takeovers, and circle drifting.

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Street racing and hooning were already a problem and a concern to area elected leaders, but it was last January when it really hit home.

A street takeover happened at Third and Jefferson Streets in downtown Dayton, which is what leaders call the inherent danger that forced them to start the fight for change.

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A dozen high-performance cars, hundreds of spectators, and thousands of downtown residents blocked, threatened or simply startled.

“The dangerous part for me is that there were people in the way of cars so I think something could have happened but luckily no one was hurt,” said Baxter Stapleton.

The high-risk driving, which includes street racing, street takeovers, circle drifting, burn-outs, and donuts is all called “hooning.”

Representatives Andrea White and Phil Plummer introduced a crackdown on “hooning” that passed the state House and is now in the state Senate.

“We are dealing with multiple high-performance vehicles and all it would take is someone to fall out of a car and be struck by a car and be severely injured or killed,” said Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal.

Afzal and Dayton Mayor Jeff Mims, as well as former Trotwood mayor Mary McDonald, went to Columbus to urge senate leaders to pass the hooning crackdown legislation.

“This type of activity, ok, it poses a major threat to the citizens of our community,” Mims said.

The proposed law would change hooning from a misdemeanor to a felony, would allow law enforcement to seize vehicles involved, even to fine spectators that gather.

Police say those involved often block officers from getting to intersections to stop the street takeover. Those that live downtown are torn about what should happen.

“Of course, I want cool things to happen in the city but I also don’t want to disrespect, I mean, this is my neighborhood,” Stapleton said.

That testimony today was in front of the state Senate’s judiciary committee.

The proposed law would have to pass that committee and then be approved by the full senate, then be signed by Governor DeWine before any stricter penalties were put in place.

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