Mississauga mall takes steps to slow down stunt drivers and street racers

A north Mississauga shopping mall parking lot that’s been the target of a police blitz the last couple of months in efforts to eliminate illegal late-night/overnight street racing and stunt driving has suddenly become less attractive to the large group of thrill seekers.

City of Mississauga Ward 5 Councillor Carolyn Parrish said in a post to social media yesterday (April 12) that management of Westwood Square mall in Malton installed “heavy concrete barriers” this past weekend in order to cut off access “to the stunt driving parking lot” in front of the vacant Walmart.

Parrish has been pushing for such measures as part of her ongoing fight to stop the hundreds of stunt drivers who’ve been gathering at the Malton hot spot for more than a year now.

Most weekends, even during winter, the drivers have been revving their engines, performing stunt driving maneuvers such as donuts and such, and racing in the late-night and overnight hours. Their noisy antics have frustrated and angered nearby residents who can’t sleep or get a moment’s peace.

Concrete barriers have been installed at Westwood Square in Malton in an effort to eliminate late-night/overnight illegal stunt driving and street racing. (Photo: Carolyn Parrish Twitter)

The Ward 5 councillor has said the ongoing problem had her concerned that angry residents near the mall would take the law into their own hands and confront the noisy street racers.

She has repeatedly said that Peel Regional Police have been doing their best, but were simply not equipped with the resources to pay extra attention to the late-night Malton trouble spot.

However, police have been paying extra attention to the matter in recent weeks and have seized a number of vehicles and laid numerous charges to date.

A late-February police blitz on the illegal stunt drivers and street racers doing their thing led to dozens of charges as cops and local politicians teamed up to try stamp out the worrying and worsening problem, which also plagues many other areas of Mississauga and Brampton.

Earlier this month, it was revealed how many charges were laid in March and at what locations police were nabbing racers/stunt drivers.