The Daily Agenda: Racing to find a fix

Street racing and stunt shows on the east side … The return of traffic enforcement cameras … TUSD offers emergency housing.

Traffic enforcement cameras could be making a return to Tucson, but not because of red light-runners or simple speeding. The problem this time around is a whole lot more complicated.

The city is seeing an influx of illegal street racing that’s especially problematic on the east side, which has newer, wider streets that aren’t heavily traveled at night.

Illegal street racing is not a new issue to Tucson or Pima County, but officials say that it’s recently escalated to an “unprecedented level.”

“For years, it’s been kind of downplayed as just a little noise on the east side,” said Councilwoman Nikki Lee. “I’ve been constantly trying to bring awareness to the fact that it’s more than just noise. It’s also dangerous out here when people do shift work and for firefighters trying to respond to emergencies.”

The races typically take place on Friday and Saturday evenings, according to Lee, who said organized groups take over the streets, block access to homes and businesses and even shoot guns. And they aren’t just taking over main thoroughfares, like the newly completed Houghton Road. They’re moving into neighborhoods and taking over intersections, Lee said.

“I’m a mom with a 17-year-old new driver. He had his homecoming dance a few weeks ago and had to take Houghton all the way there and home,” Lee said. “I was so concerned the whole time, I almost went down there to drive him home myself.”

Social media is making the problem worse, Councilman Paul Cunningham wrote in his newsletter last week, saying that the “sideshows” in which people perform tricks with their cars are done to gain notoriety. On top of that, attendees can get more views and likes if they challenge police who respond to the shows, creating a potentially dangerous situation for all involved.

Police have been trying to address the problem, but limited staffing and resources have made that tough, so city officials are looking for ways to shut down the racing while making sure it doesn’t just move to another part of town.

One idea is to create “No-Racing Photo Enforcement Zones” involving photo radar cameras, but with a new twist.

In November 2015, Tucson residents overwhelmingly voted to approve Prop 201, which made any evidence collected from automatic red light or speed cameras inadmissible in court, unless a human, on-site witness could testify to its accuracy.

This means that if the city wants to create these no-racing zones, a police officer would need to be on-site, as well.

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The city is looking into other potential solutions, including a tactic used in Las Vegas in which police report offenders to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, making it much harder for the owners to keep their insurance.

Earlier this month, Lee’s office hosted a town hall to gather feedback from neighbors and hear from police, as well as the transportation and 911 communications departments. A few dozen people turned out, weighing in on the problem and proposed solutions.

“A lot has changed since 2015, for sure,” Lee said, referring to voter approval of the traffic enforcement camera ban. “I think there’s a different sentiment, too. This has surfaced as something that resonates with a lot of Tucsonans.”

The mayor and council will discuss the issue during a Tuesday study session, and the city is collecting feedback on racing incidents and locations through a public survey. The most likely solution seems like creating an ordinance to declare specific “no-racing zones” and utilizing monitored traffic cameras.

More than 1,240 people have died in traffic-related incidents in Pima County since 2017. Last year was the worst, with 214. This year might outpace that record — so far, 170 people have died.

Street racing spiked during COVID when many people were under quarantine and streets were empty. But the street takeovers didn’t stop when pandemic life ended, Cunningham said.

He pointed to a high-profile incident in August at Pantano and Escalante involving a street stunt show that drew more than 100 people and saw drivers brandishing guns. He noted that news coverage failed to mention that arrests were made and six vehicles impounded and that there have been more than 200 street racing-related arrests so far this year. But arresting offenders isn’t enough of a deterrent most of the time. 

“Officers who deal with this issue tell me that for many of the people they arrest, a night in jail and a fine is the cost of the hobby,” he wrote in his newsletter. “They can be back to racing a few days later.”

And it’s not always easy for officers to catch offenders in the act, according to Lee, who said the groups are sophisticated and monitor officer movement, as well as the locations of police helicopters and the sheriff’s department plane.

“They’re listening to our radios. They know when officers are dispatched and they scatter,” Lee said.

A first for Oro Valley: The Oro Valley Town Council accepted a $1 million grant to build the town’s first skate park and pump track at Naranja Park, University of Arizona journalism student Riley Brown¹ reports. A pump track is a series of rollers, banked turns and features that help generate momentum. They were originally designed for mountain bike and BMX use, but with the use of concrete, they’re wheelchair accessible and can also be used by skateboarders. The grant from the Arizona State Parks Land Water Conservation Fund required a 100% funding match by the town, which was available through the ongoing Naranja Park expansion project. 

School housing: As the number of homeless families grows, the Tucson Unified School District is now offering emergency housing for families facing a crisis, the Arizona Daily Star’s Jessica Votikpa reports. The district will cover the costs, using American Rescue Plan funds, for families to stay at a hotel for up to four days while they figure out their next steps. About 1,800 families in the school district qualify for the program. Since the program began in September, 20 families have used it.

Fatal shooting: Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Verlon Jones is upset that federal prosecutors declined to press charges against Border Patrol agents who shot and killed a Tohono O’odham man near his house in May, the Tucson Sentinel’s Paul Ingram reports. Federal officials released body cam footage of the shooting, but haven’t shared many details about why they decided not to press charges. 

"The facts speak for themselves, and they do not support the U.S. Attorney’s decision — Mr. Mattia was an unarmed man in his own front yard," Jones said in a statement released Friday. "Multiple agents made the decision to fire dozens of shots at short range at this unarmed man, hitting Raymond Mattia multiple times, and ultimately killing him. All of this was captured on agents’ video cameras and is not in question."

Hear from the candidates: Ballots are already in the mail for the Nov. 7 city elections. To help voters learn more about the candidates, KGUN9’s Craig Smith just wrapped up his series of interviews with the four candidates running for Tucson’s mayor.

Environmental dilemma: The company planning to build a massive copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains, which environmental advocates oppose, could get huge tax credits under a federal program designed to promote green energy, such as solar panels and electric cars, the Star’s Tony Davis reports. The program, which can cover up to 30% of a project’s cost, got an additional $10 billion in tax credits via the Inflation Reduction Act. Then in July, federal officials designated copper as a critical mineral for the transition to green energy.

Help wanted: The City of South South Tucson Fire Department is facing potential liability due to understaffing, Captain Andy Luna told city council members earlier this month, per UA journalism student Erika Howlett.² Luna said the department only has three firefighters, but needs four to effectively operate. He asked the council for an update on hiring. The South Tucson Fire Department’s website says it is staffed by two full-time fire captains who each cover one shift, with the third shift covered by a reserve captain or driver/operator lead. There are 32 paid reserve firefighters to fill the schedule, including many who work at other agencies in the Tucson area.

8 to 13: The degrees above normal the National Weather Service is expecting for Southeast Arizona this week. 

1. Brown is a student in Caitlin’s reporting public affairs class at the University of Arizona. As part of the curriculum, students are following local boards, commissions, councils and committees throughout the semester and will be reporting back on their actions. Read more about that here.

2. Howlett is also in Caitlin’s class.