Toronto-area police announce details of 2022 street racing campaign

Police forces in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) gathered Thursday morning to announce the 2022 results of Project E.R.A.S.E. (Eliminate Racing Activity on Streets Everywhere), a campaign designed to eliminate street racing and other unsafe driving practices across the GTA.

The campaign is a collaboration between Peel Regional Police, Barrie Police, Durham Regional Police, Halton Regional Police, Hamilton Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police, Waterloo Regional Police, York Regional Police and the Ministry of Transportation.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

“Street racers do not acknowledge jurisdictional boundaries,” said Marc Andrews, deputy chief of Peel Regional Police, on Thursday morning. “They move freely through neighbourhoods without concern or thought for public safety.”

He added that over 4,000 street racing and stunt driving charges have been laid in Peel Region since 2018, and approximately 500 of those have been in the first five months of 2023.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility between law enforcement, local levels of government, community partners and residents throughout the GTA,” he said. “[Street racing] has been deemed a priority for our services.”

First established in 1999, Project E.R.A.S.E. is designed to address illegal street racing in the GTA. Andrews said there is “zero tolerance” for street racing, and that in the second half of 2022, officers identified “hot spot” locations for dangerous driving. Between May and September of 2022, Andrews said officers investigated over 2,000 vehicles and issued over 1,400 provincial offense notices.

Andrews encouraged members of the public who witness street racing or stunt driving to contact police immediately in order to keep GTA roadways safe.

Joe Maiorano, deputy chief of the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS), said officers laid 214 charges in relation to stunt driving, and an additional 104 charges so far this year in Durham Region. Mairano said DRPS uses specialty technology to spot stunt driving, such as licence plate recognition devices.

Wallace Gossen, acting deputy chief of York Regional Police, said their most valuable resource in combatting street racing remains the community, and like Andrews, encouraged civilians to report street racing when they see it.

Matt Moyer, acting superintendent of the Toronto Police Service, reiterated the multi-jurisdictional aspect of Project E.R.A.S.E., celebrating the successes of the police services involved in mitigating street racing across the GTA. He said 521 charges related to unsafe driving have already been laid in Toronto this year, along with 1,106 in 2022.

Moyer said 119 criminal charges have been laid in 2023 so far, on top of the unsafe driving charges.

“Together we’ll make a difference in keeping Ontario roads safe and enjoyable for everyone,” he said.