Video: ‘Someone’s going to get killed’ if street racing continues in Mississauga

A Mississauga councillor says “someone’s going to get killed” unless police put the brakes on illegal nighttime and overnight street racing that’s terrorizing neighbourhoods in the Malton area of Mississauga and across the city.

City of Mississauga Ward 5 Councillor Carolyn Parrish, who for months now has been banging the drum for a beefed-up Peel Regional Police presence to address the “horrible” problem outside Westwood Square shopping mall in Malton, took her concerns to another level at today’s (Feb. 22) meeting of general committee.

“Someone’s going to get killed there for sure,” Parrish told her fellow councillors while updating them on the situation in Malton that she says has long been out of control (see video in Twitter post below).

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 this past weekend 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.

For those who missed this clip the first time, here is a typical weekend evening 10:00 to 3:00am at Westwood Square parking lot in Malton. There is housing all around it and thousands of people are unable to sleep. Clouds of dust and exhaust fill the air. It’s like a war zone. pic.twitter.com/roC4VNIjkG

— Mayor Carolyn Parrish (@carolynhparrish) February 22, 2023

The Mississauga councillor said she’s going to raise the matter again at 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.

As he was addressing his colleagues, he noted that in the previous few minutes alone he received several videos from residents showing late-night and overnight examples of races in empty parking lots.

“And we’re getting into the summer months, so it’s going to get worse,” said Mahoney, adding the illegal activity ramps up in the warmer weather.

Westwood Square is noisy and dangerous, with stunt drivers every weekend of good weather. The closed Walmart presents a huge open parking lot. Cars now spreading to the rest of the mall. Torturous noise for residents. Police doing their job. Mall management, install gates now! https://t.co/ze6kWZxfNs

— Mayor Carolyn Parrish (@carolynhparrish) February 20, 2023

Parrish said earlier that dozens of people, if not more, hanging out in loud cars and racing vehicles in the late-night and overnight hours has been an issue that dates back to last summer at the Malton mall.

“We’ve got cars revving there from 10 o’clock at night till three in the morning,” Parrish said last week at council.

She noted that one of the significant factors contributing to the trouble outside and near the mall is that the Wal-Mart that had been an anchor tenant closed its store some time ago.

“So, all that nonsense started at that end of the mall because there were no cars parked there and now they’re moving down to the other end (of the mall),” Parrish said. “The owner of the mall is doing his best. He’s trying to get out of the Wal-Mart deal so he can get some stores in there so that things will settle down.”

Earlier this month, City council agreed to hire eight new bylaw enforcement officers to give the City round-the-clock coverage as it tries to reduce out-of-control street parties, dangerous street racing and other late-night and overnight disturbances that are going unchecked.

The plan will add 10 staff in total–the eight enforcement officers in addition to a supervisor and an administrative position–at a cost of $689,700 in 2023.