TEMPE, Ariz. — It's an issue all over the Valley.
Street racers taking over intersections or people driving at dangerously high speeds on busy roads. The trends have led to more deadly crashes in 2023 for Tempe, city police said.
The department just rolled out a new plan that goes after these drivers with the goal of making roads safer. Tempe Vice Mayor Jennifer Adams called it Operation Slow Down.
For the next two months, drivers who are pulled over for a traffic violation won't receive a warning or be able to talk themselves out of a ticket.
Adams said they will be ticketed.
A big supporter of the operation and stopping dangerous driving, Adam said she gets complaints from residents about this from residents on a regular basis.
“It's becoming a lot more of a problem,” Adams said.
Street racing, intoxicated drivers and speeding have led to more crashes, Tempe police assistant chief of field operations Dane Sorensen said. Last year the department reports 34 people were seriously injured and 25 lost their lives.
“We will not tolerate people making these streets dangerous for the everyday community member that's just trying to go to work trying to live their life trying to raise their family,” Sorensen said.
Two of those deaths happened in November. Police said 32-year-old Derek Glasscock, was street racing near Broadway and Rural road with two other people in the car. Police said the Glasscock lost control of the car while driving more than 150 mph and crashed. Both those passengers died.
Glasscock was arrested and charged in this case.
When asked about street racing, Adams said police have made 34 arrests in the last few months of 2023.
At least 20 fatal crashes were reported on Tempe's streets in 2022, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
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