Houston Republic

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez pledged officers will be staying vigilant to keep the streets of Houston free of illegal drag racing during the weekend of the TX2K21 Roll & Drag Race National Championships at Houston Raceway Park.

In March 2020, various agencies including the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety and other area agencies joined together to launch a joint strike team tasked with cracking down on illegal street racing. 

“The problem of illegal street racing and street takeovers has gotten so bad that last year our sheriff’s office created a special traffic crimes unit that’s tasked with shutting down these drivers," Gonzalez at a press conference on the dangers of illegal street racing. "In addition all five of our sheriff's office patrol districts are conducting regular initiatives that are focused on aggressive drivers. 

As the pandemic has led to bored drivers and empty streets, street racing has only grown in popularity, a problem Gonzalez calls an “epidemic,” according to Houston Chronicle. Last February, a deadly street racing accident caused the deaths of three innocent bystanders, two of them teen brothers. The driver of the vehicle has been charged with two counts of felony manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault.

“Unfortunately, there are a handful folks who make the selfish decision to race on the same public roads our families use each and every day," Gonzalez said. "They put lives in jeopardy and we have seen the deadly consequences."

Gonzalez said there is a "right way" to do it if you "want to go fast" and encourages drivers to use services offered by Houston Raceway Park to race safely under controlled conditions on a closed track. He also issued a warning to drivers who continue do it the "wrong way."

"Be warned we are looking for you and we will shut you down before you hurt or kill someone," Gonzalez said. "All of the agencies represented here today will be highly visible on the roadways throughout spring break and will be targeting aggressive drivers."

The joint strike team was formed March of last year, but pandemic jail restrictions limited the team’s ability to arrest people for lower-level offenses. Those limitations have been relaxed and arrests “are now happening,” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo told the Houston Chronicle. 

During the first weekend of February, officers arrested 15 people, issued citations to over 100 others, and impounded an undisclosed number of cars during takeover busts.

In late February, a high-profile street racing incident occurred when Kemah Siverand, a cornerback for the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, was arrested for participating in an illegal street race, according to KHOU 11 News.