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TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Lieutenant Andrew Wolcott
Aurora Police Department
DATE: May 1, 2025
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance Amending Chapter 27, creating Section 27-135, titled "Vehicular Nuisance".
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this ordinance is to amend the city code to allow the police department to charge the registered owner of a vehicle with fleeing and eluding a peace officer.
BACKGROUND:
In recent years, street take-overs, car meet-ups, side-shows, unpermitted vehicle parades and drag racing have become a large nationwide trend. Social-media based groups coordinate large gatherings throughout the Chicago area. The groups coordinate to meet at various locations including intersections and parking lots. The groups are meeting to show off their cars, to celebrate holidays, to have unpermitted car parades and/or to drag race. The groups typically fund their vehicles and the events through views, likes and shares on social media, which entices them to be more provocative at these events in order to increase their social media followings.
These events cause many issues for our residents and businesses. Roadways and parking lots are damaged, neighbors are disturbed by interruptions to traffic flow, speeding vehicles and loud engines. We have also had several people injured in these incidents. These groups have come to Aurora with up to 200 vehicles with participants from all over the Chicago area.
Some groups have poured gasoline on roadways and parking lots, which they light on fire to enhance their social media followings. They are also using fireworks for the same purpose. Part of the trend involves these groups even using stolen vehicles, which they don't hesitate to damage during donuts and burnouts. Across the country, including in Chicago, firearms are frequently carried by these groups and displayed on social media.
As a result of these incidents, we have had to pull officers away from responding to other calls for service and have h...
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