City of Glendale - News

PSA Helps Teens Say No to Street Racing

Members of the Mayors Youth Advisory Commission join forces with Mayor Elaine Scruggs, Glendale 11 and the Glendale Police Department

A new message is being driven straight to teens and young adults in Glendale as part of an anti-street racing campaign.

Initiated by members of the Glendale Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission (MYAC) and the Office of the Mayor, with the help of Glendale Channel 11 (the city’s official cable station) and the Glendale Police Department, the message campaign was created to point out the penalties and dangers of racing cars on the streets of the city. In addition to airing on Glendale 11, the public service announcements will be delivered to Glendale’s high schools before the end of the school year to educate students about the dangers of street racing.

The Message

In an effort to really connect with a young target audience, the public service announcement looks similar to an MTV video, involves popular upbeat music with quick edits and is put together in a wide-screen format. The video stars eight MYAC members, who are Glendale high school students: Alyse Winchester, Deer Valley High School; Malena Arnard, Independence High School; Abby Burkhart, Glendale High School; Amanda Tester, Ironwood High School; David Vogt, Mountain Ridge High School; Ben Zierten, Mountain Ridge High School; Mason McKee, Mountain Ridge High School; and Leslie Troy, Ironwood High School. The Glendale 11 production crew shot the video at night near a busy Bell Road intersection, and MYAC members gave creative input to make sure the video would connect to their peers. The announcement closes with a message about the dangers of street racing given by Mayor Elaine Scruggs, Police Chief Steve Conrad and outgoing MYAC President Leslie Troy.

Dangers on the Road

Maricopa County has seen a dangerous rise in street racing in recent months, and Glendale has not been immune to its fatal consequences. New state laws allow for strict penalties for dangerous driving behavior, including higher fines, jail time and the seizure of vehicles.

For nearly a year, Glendale Police have implemented a strict enforcement effort to combat street racing. Officers in marked cars and motorcycles, as well as undercover officers in unmarked vehicles have taken to the streets on four occasions netting almost 250 arrests, giving out more than 300 citations and seizing 125 vehicles.

The most recent enforcement occurred April 28 and 29. During that event, Glendale partnered with officers and volunteers from Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix and the Department of Public Safety resulting in 41 arrests.

Check Out the PSA

You can see the PSA message at various times on Glendale 11, including a summer episode of Glendale 911 (a show featuring Glendale police and fire). Or watch the PSA online! You will need a Media Player to view the PSA. Windows Media Player can be downloaded for free at http://windowsmedia.com/download.