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Overland Park Police cracking down on drag racers this summer

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This past weekend alone, officers responded to nearly 100 calls of drag racing and reckless driving. 

Julie Jost is an Overland Park mother of two young drivers.  She’s concerned about the drag racing and reckless driving she sees in her community. 

“It makes me angry," said Jost. "I get scared when I’m out there driving and I see people drag racing.”

Those concerns are being addressed by the Overland Park Police Department. Officers have launched a summer initiative aimed at cracking down on drag racing. Expect a heavier police presence in areas known for drag racing. Offices are also handing out pamphlets to suspected drag racers about the dangers. 

This new initiative comes a little more than a week after investigators say two motorcyclists were drag racing near 131st and Switzer, when one of the riders fell off his bike and died.

"21, 23 years of age, they’re invincible,” Officer John Lacy tells 41 Action News.  “At that age, they feel 'hey this isn’t going to happen to me,' but we’ve seen fatalities.”

The Overland Park Police Department has started a dialog on its Facebook page. If you see drag racing happening, get as much info as you can about the vehicle, then call police.