At a Fort Worth City Council meeting on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Sean Kenjura of the Fort Worth Police Department described how the city’s efforts to crack down on street racing have led to changes. Street racing in Fort Worth has been a documented problem since at least 2020, according to a preli minary report from the city, but the activity has changed in recent years. “We all remember the news reports all over the metroplex where kids were in the middle of the intersection and stuff like that. We’re not really seeing that,” Kenjura said. “Now we’re seeing more isolated incidents in parking lots and places like that.” The preliminary report discussed in Tuesday’s meeting shows that from January 2026 through March 2026, FWPD responded to 795 calls for “hot-rodding.” Of that number, only 18 of these incidents were considered organized street takeover events. The issue isn’t new. Fort Worth and other cities across North Texas saw large gatherings take over intersections, sometimes leading to arrests, vehicle seizures, and reports of gunfire. In one crackdown, dozens of people were cited, and nearly 30 vehicles were towed. The “hot-rodding” category mentioned in the report includes reckless driving, racing, and street takeover activities. Police say while large-scale events appear to be declining, they are still happening, and often moving across city lines. “If they’re active in Dallas, Euless, Hearst, Bedford, Grand Prairie,” said Kenjura, “It kind of spins up, and we follow them.” Officers say stronger laws are helping them crack down. Recent changes in Texas law allow police to seize vehicles involved in organized street racing and takeovers, a measure intended to deter repeat offenders. Despite some measurable progress, police say street racing activity still poses serious risks. Past incidents have led to crashes, injuries, and fatalities, and officers have reported weapons being displayed or fired during some gatherings. Investigators are also seeing new challenges, including the use of off-road vehicles like dirt bikes and ATVs. “It’s a little bit more difficult when you’re dealing with the two-wheeled vehicles and those smaller, more maneuverable vehicles,” Kenjura said, “if we start running through neighborhoods and stuff, that gets pretty dangerous.” As summer approaches, officers say they’re focusing more on prevention, including public education about what is and isn’t legal on city streets. FWPD also warns recent closures of private venues in the region could push more drivers back onto public roads. ...read more read less