Local police departments enforce speeding, loud exhaust laws in joint effort

Local police departments took part in a joint enforcement operation on Sunday, May 23, as law enforcement agencies up and down the Orange County coastline look to address the issues of speeding and loud and modified exhaust vehicles.

The Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach police departments all joined in the effort, which saw more than 50 motorcycle officers and other law enforcement personnel focus on those issues. Additional county police departments were involved, as well as the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the California Highway Patrol, four investigators from the California Department of Motor Vehicles and four referees from the California Bureau of Automotive Repair.

During the operation, 445 vehicle stops were made for violations, according to a news release. A total of 348 citations were handed out for vehicle code violations, including loud or modified exhaust.

Bureau of Automotive Repair referees inspected 44 cars for modified exhaust infractions, and 16 vehicles were referred to DMV investigators for potential registration violations.

The operation also saw four drivers cited for speeds that exceeded 100 miles per hour.

Another four traffic stops resulted in arrests. Two of those were related to the possession of narcotics, and one each for a DUI and an unlicensed driver.

“Loud exhaust and speed violations continue to compromise the safety and quality of life of our residents,” Interim Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said in a statement. “Consequently, we are left with no choice but to take a zero-tolerance approach to enforcement. We appreciate this unprecedented collaboration with our law enforcement partners, and we look forward to sustaining this enforcement effort through the end of the year.”

The Laguna Beach Police Department has written more than 2,700 tickets for violations pertaining to the issues of speeding and loud or modified exhaust since May of 2020, Laguna Beach police officials said in the release.

Huntington Beach police also released a statement that said the department will be increasing its enforcement efforts with regards to loud or modified exhaust vehicles and street racing during the summer.

On the evening of the joint enforcement operation, Huntington Beach police said that two arrests were made for reckless driving, two vehicles were impounded, and there were 17 traffic tickets issued.

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