Parents' cars seized in boy racer sting

By ANNE BESTON

North Shore families are waking up to find their cars have been impounded by police in a crackdown on boy racers.

In some cases the angry parents have been unaware their sons have been using the family car for illegal street racing.

Inspector Les Paterson said one teenager took the car while his parents were away for the weekend.

In another case, a furious father demanded to know why police did not arrest his son.

"I can understand the parents being irate - heck, I would be - but it's a matter to settle within the family," he said.

The families will be without the car for a month and must pay $500 to get it back.

North Shore police have so far issued 47 seizure warrants in a month-long, covert operation to catch illegal racers. Fourteen vehicles have been seized, two from homes where it was a parent's car that was being towed away.

One was a late-model Jaguar. Another with a warrant out on it is a late-model Mercedes-Benz.

Tough new illegal street racing penalties were passed last year, allowing police to confiscate and impound vehicles.

Mr Paterson said that earlier operations in South Auckland meant racers had switched their activities to the North Shore. Favoured areas included the Albany Megacentre and the Oteha Valley Rd area.

He would not say how police are nabbing and identifying cars involved in illegal races but the system required little staff time and few resources.

Boy racers are not gathering in the same numbers as seen in South Auckland before the law change, when about 400 would congregate, racing at high speeds and doing stunts such as burnouts and "donuts".

Anyone involved in illegal street racing faces criminal charges, possible loss of their licence for six months and between $500 and $1000 in fines.

Cars are impounded for a month and it costs $500 to get them back.

"The greatest inconvenience or cost to parents will be that they won't have the use of the car for a month," Mr Paterson said.

"Hopefully, the wayward child will come to the party and pay the fee."