With the onset of warmer weather, Coon Rapids police are bracing for the return of weekly car cruises on Coon Rapids Boulevard and the unwanted driving behaviors that come with it.
The City Council last month amended its traffic ordinance to beef up enforcement of laws governing noise, street racing and other inappropriate driving maneuvers associated with the events, which have been held on weekend nights for the past two years between Egret and Round Lake boulevards.
"This is a tool where we can enforce the issues and quality of life stuff," said Capt. Adam Jacobson with the Coon Rapids Police Department. "Come and have a good time. Let people see the cars, but no street racing, squealing of tires or noisy mufflers."
Most of the traffic code changes simply tidy up laws already on the books, but one big change allows officers to issue citations to passengers, non-driving participants and organizers "if they aid and abet the illegal behavior in some way," the ordinance reads.
Merely standing on the side of the road watching the procession of hot rods, Lamborghinis and decked-out cars would not be a crime. But actions such as car occupants hanging out windows or bystanders videotaping drivers doing burnouts are now ticketable offenses.
"This is not going to fix all of what ails us in terms of street racing or the cruise," city attorney David Brodie said during an April council meeting. "Somebody who is actively participating or helping out these main actors ... that is a key component to the ordinance."
The new language clarifies that breaking the traction of the vehicle's tires, unnecessarily spinning the tires continuously by increasing the engine speed and steering the vehicle in a manner unnecessary for navigation is against the law. The ordinance also states that "no vehicle shall produce a sharp popping or crackling sound."
The city took action in response to noise complaints from residents who live near Coon Rapids Boulevard.
