New fines for car rallies coming to stop rise in parking lot takeovers in Brampton

New and updated fines for attending noisy car rallies could be coming to help police and the city crackdown on an increased number of parking lot takeovers in Brampton.

Street racers and rowdy motorists racked up more than 20,000 traffic charges in Mississauga and Brampton in the first half of 2024, with Peel Regional Police responding to 21 car rallies in Brampton between May 29 and June 24.

The increase in Brampton takeovers followed tougher penalties of $10,000 introduced in neighbouring Vaughan, with Peel Regional Police saying that “spillover” from the crackdown will have impacts on Brampton.

A report comparing similar noise and event bylaws in the two municipalities was presented to council on Wednesday and found that Brampton’s Nuisance Bylaw 136-2018 has a maximum fine of $100,000 – 10 times higher than Vaughan’s new Special Events Bylaw 045-2018 with a maximum of $10,000.

“In many cases, the bylaws we have in Brampton are even stronger than what we have in Vaughan, the one difference though is in Vaughan…they have higher fines with respect for violations of bylaws related to car rallies,” Coun. Rowena Santos said of the report.

But Vaughan has bylaws specifically dealing and targeting car rallies and the issues they cause, while Brampton’s bylaws have a wider scope to include any “Nuisance Party.”

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City staff have been instructed to report back to council with an updated list of fines specifically related to car rallies.

Both Santos and Coun. Dennis Keenan said they’ve heard repeated complaints from residents about loud mufflers and street racing in the middle of the night.

Police have been dealing with loud and potentially dangerous car rallies in both Mississauga and Brampton for years, with officers laying some 530 charges at a Mississauga plaza in recent weeks.

Acting Insp. Shawn Rice with the Peel police Road Safety Services told council earlier this year that some of the rallies seen this summer had participants using fireworks and gasoline to “excite and encourage unruly behaviour.”