Overnight stunt driving a huge problem at Mississauga malls and industrial areas

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Published February 27, 2023 at 9:10 am

Mississauga is pushing for beefed-up police enforcement in efforts to put the brakes on nighttime/0vernight street racing and stunt driving in mall parking lots and industrial areas across the city and the region.

Two days after City of Mississauga Ward 5 Councillor Carolyn Parrish pleaded once again with colleagues that something must be done about the out-of-control problem that has plagued Westwood Square shopping mall in Malton and nearby residents for almost a year now, Mayor Bonnie Crombie pressed Peel cops on Friday for more action.

Speaking at the Peel Police Services Board (PSB) meeting on Feb. 24, Crombie pressed Peel Regional Police for more resources with which to deal with the worsening problem.

While Parrish has also pushed Peel cops for months now, she has acknowledged that they are doing their best with limited resources.

But it’s simply not enough, she added at a Feb. 22 meeting of Mississauga general committee, predicting people may get hurt or “someone’s going to get killed” as angry, frustrated and sleepless residents could take matters into their own hands and confront the street racers.

The problem not only persists in Parrish’s Ward 5 (Malton), but in most other areas of Mississauga as well–and it’s getting worse.

Crombie said that at Friday’s PSB meeting, she “called for a coordinated regional approach to address the rise in stunt driving at night in parking lots and industrial areas. I’d welcome the opportunity for local councillors, police and property management in hot spots to meet to develop joint solutions.”

Parrish said those behind the illegal nighttime and overnight street racing at the Malton mall are terrorizing residents in a nearby neighbourhood, and she’s worried the matter will soon become violent if residents decide to try take care of the problem themselves.

After months of Parrish badgering Peel cops to provide some kind of presence at the Malton shopping mall late at night and overnight, police deployed paid-duty officers to the area two weekends ago for two nights.

Parrish said police laid 30 charges the first night and the following night more than 100 cars returned to the Westwood Square parking lot to race and make so much noise as to keep nearby residents awake, fearful and frustrated.

“It’s pretty horrible,” Parrish said succinctly, adding area residents have called her, crying, to complain.

The Mississauga councillor raised the matter again at last Thursday’s (Feb. 23) Region of Peel council meeting to let Peel councillors know police need help to deal with the problem.

“I don’t want to embarrass Peel Regional Police because they’re doing their best, but it’s not enough,” said Parrish, who noted earlier in her remarks that similar street racing activity is also plaguing Heartland Town Centre, at Mavis and Britannia Rds., also in her ward.

But there aren’t any residents living nearby that location, as there are near Westwood Square, so few or no complaints are received, she added.

Ward 8 Councillor Matt Mahoney said illegal street racing and all its associated problems plagues other areas of Mississauga as well, including Erin Mills in his ward.

Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko said his area in south Mississauga is also a hot spot, and added he supports a city- or region-wide approach to the problem.

“And we’re getting into the summer months, so it’s going to get worse,” said Mahoney.

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