Skip to content

Police promise strong presence at revived Cruise-In

Reckless driving targeted
68339langleyCruise-inpolicecarwebversion
A classic police car and portable 'jail' at a past Langley cruise-in

Expect to see more police on the streets at Cruise-In this year.

That's the message being sent by the Langley RCMP, in response to the outpour of street racing and burn outs that occurred on Cruise-In weekend in 2009.

"I think residents in Langley can anticipate seeing a significant increase in the number of visible police resources on the Friday evening prior to the Cruise-In," Supt. Derek Cooke, head of the Langley RCMP detachment said.

Along with officers from the Langley detachment, members of the Fraser Valley Integrated Road Safety Unit, bike patrollers, foot patrollers and possibly neighbouring detachments will all be used.

Additional street closures are also being considered along with highly visible police road checks.

The goal is to keep the Cruise-In a fun and safe event for families to enjoy for years to come. The RCMP hope that a stronger presence will deter people from driving their hot rods dangerously.

"From the perspective of the police, the biggest single change [from 2009] will be the number of officers present," Cooke said.

For those who do not wish to abide by the rules, the consequences can be harsh. Depending on the circumstances police can impound cars, lay charges, and issue traffic tickets.

Cooke also says the cancellation of Friday night events by the Cruise-In organizers may have solved the problems of reckless driving which took place in 2009. However, should problems persist, the RCMP are well prepared.

"In 2009 my understanding is that [the Friday night cruise to the drive-in] attracted a significant number of people to the area. Now that it has been cancelled, we are optimistic that may have solved some of the problems," he said.