RICHMOND (NEWS1130) - A group that tries to educate young people about the dangers of street racing is expanding its operations.
Resist the Race was founded in 2004, two years after Richmond RCMP Constable Jimmy Ng was killed by a street racer.
"I found that doing enforcement really wasn't changing the attitudes of the people involved in street racing" said
Richmond RCMP Sergeant Rob Quilley, founder of Resist the Race. "Really what we needed to do was look at it from a different venue and attack the problem from a different angle, instead of just stricktly enforcement, which is reactive mostly."
The group has been touring auto shows and car-club meetings with modified car, just like something you would expect to see involved in a street race. Quilley says it's a good ice-breaker, as kids approach them with questions about the car.
"To stand there as a policeman in uniform and tell kids 'don't do this, don't do that' doesn't work" he said. "We wanted to be approachable and we needed something to get them to talk to us, and talk to us."
Resist the Race has applied for standing as a charitable organization, so it will be able to give out tax receipts to donors. After that paperwork is approved, the group's executive director says big changes will follow.
"Everything will sort of change beyond that where we will probably be looking at a bigger volunteer network to support (the organization) and definately more appearances, maybe within the formal school system" said Jacob Ung.
Resist the Race is also developing a formal curriculum for delivering its message about street racing.
Constable Jimmy Ng was killed during a routine call nine years ago after his cruiser was struck by a street racer. He was travelling through an intersection with a green light when another driver slammed into the driver's side door. The 31-year-old officer was a 6.5 year veteran of the force who grew up in Richmond, dying just a couple of kilometres from his old high school.
Yau Chun Stuart Chan, also known as Stuart Chan, was 19 at the time of the accident. He was given a two year sentence for Criminal Negligence Causing Death and Leaving the Scene of an Accident.