VIDEO: Street racing crackdown leads to dozens of charges at shopping centres in Brampton

The crackdown on street racing and dangerous driving moved from Mississauga to Brampton last weekend as police laid dozens of charges related to car rally takeovers at local plazas.

Peel Regional Police have been working to curb the number of loud and dangerous car meet-ups at local malls and shopping plazas with an enforcement blitz earlier this month that led to some 530 charges laid at Ridgeway Plaza in Mississauga.

But police have seen a rise in what are called parking lot “takeovers” in Brampton, leading officers to patrol Trinity Common Mall and Bramalea City Centre last weekend.

Officers laid over 60 charges under the Highway Traffic Act on Friday and Saturday at the two plazas “along with a slew of other charges,” said PRP Public and Media Relations Officer Richard Chin in a video sharing the results of the weekend operation.

“So this is just a reminder- we as Peel Regional Police are going to continue to enforce our Highway Traffic Act laws and we want to make sure everyone in the community feels safe and go to these plazas, and spend time with their families without being concerned with aggressive driving behaviours,” Chin said.

Police responded to 21 car rallies in Brampton between May 29 and June 24 and have laid more than 20,000 traffic charges in Mississauga and Brampton in the first half of 2024.

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Police said that the increase is likely “spillover” from a crackdown on car rallies in Vaughan that’s moved to nearby Brampton, leading city council to approve updates to city bylaws this week bringing fines of up to $2,000 for people taking part in loud and dangerous car meet-ups at local malls and shopping plazas.

Some of the rallies have seen participants use fireworks and gasoline to “excite and encourage unruly behaviour,” police say.

This past weekend, we were at Trinity Common Mall & Bramalea City Centre, focusing on stunt driving, racing and other Highway Traffic Act offences- as part of our ongoing commitment to road safety.

Please report aggressive driving:https://t.co/s5aPPw4b36 pic.twitter.com/AYV8tZbVwe

— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) September 24, 2024

Brampton’s updated public nuisance bylaw carries fines of $800 for a first offence climbing to $1,000 for a second offence and $1,500 for every following infraction, where the rallying and damage additions would carry maximum fines of $2,000.