Project "Rocket"

The RPCRA is happy to provide the following report from the police regarding the problem of motorcylce and car racing in our neighbourhood and around the City.

(Ottawa) - The Ottawa Police Service today wrapped up a two week long Traffic Enforcement Blitz, targeting aggressive street racing. The blitz was dubbed Project "ROCKET".

Police have received an increased number of complaints this summer regarding street racing and vehicle equipment violations, (loud mufflers, improper lights, etc.) on city streets. On occasion some offenders failed to stop for police at times attempting to engage officers to enter into high-speed pursuits.

With road safety as a top priority, the Ottawa Police Traffic Section decided to crack down on the drivers of automobiles and motorcycles engaging in this dangerous driving behavior. Officers from this section, working in conjunction with officers in the Air Support and K-9 units, utilized the plane's camera equipment and radar equipment on the ground to ensure these drivers were identified and charged accordingly.

"There is no place for this type of behaviour on the streets of Ottawa," stated Chief Vince Bevan. "These individuals are putting at risk their lives and the lives of other people. Each summer we receive complaints about racing automobiles and motorcycles. State of the art equipment in our aircraft now enables us to use it as a surveillance platform to catch people involved in these activities. It has been a coordinated effort and I congratulate the units responsible for mounting this campaign."

Project "ROCKET" statistics include a total of 567 charges laid during the four days of the project. The three most significant charges were speeding (201), fail to have insurance (80) and fail to surrender permit (29). It is to be noted that there were several charges of unnecessary noise (6). See the complete list below.

The Bank street region between Walkley and Heron was one of the main focuses on the project due to the fact that the riders leave from the plaza located at Bank and Alta Vista and drive North on Bank Street. Enforcement not only relates to racing, but also includes equipment, licensing and insurance issues. However, its important to note that several other areas of the city were targeted because racing takes place across the city, including the Confederation Heights area.