If you’re planning on driving recklessly you should also probably plan on the Lathrop Police Department having a word with you.

One local driver found this out the hard way last month when they were stopped by officers after they were observed running stop signs, driving a high rate of speed, and driving in the oncoming lane of traffic – putting the lives of multiple other drivers and pedestrians at risk.

After obtaining a warrant officers were able to locate the vehicle and impound it for the egregious violations.

“Our officers are specially trained in the enforcement of illegal side shows and exhibition of speed and will impound any vehicle found in violation of these laws,” the department said in a statement announcing the impound.

The crackdown on unsafe driving is part of an ongoing effort by the City of Lathrop to protect the general public from those who take unnecessary risk while behind the wheel – whether that’s participating in a sideshow or simply casting driving laws aside.

When sideshows began gaining traction in San Joaquin County and requiring law enforcement resources to address, the Lathrop City Council approved the installation of signs at specific intersections that warned residents that unsafe driving – spinning donuts, peeling out, or other activities that are against the law – will not be tolerated and all driving laws will be enforced.

The decision by the council was spurred at least in part by a number of incidents including one where a driver pulled into Mossdale Park and began spinning donuts – hitting sprinkler lines and causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to the park.

Lathrop’s mounted camera system provides a real-time feed for things that are happening in the city and can be monitored remotely from the Lathrop Police Department and from individual squad cars – allowing officers to see things that are going on even when they aren’t physically present.