LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Since Louisville Metro Council created a street racing ordinance one year ago, police have arrested 37 people and impounded 55 cars.

The ordinance was created as street racing and street takeover became more common on Louisville's streets. If you're caught, regardless of who is driving, the car's registered owner can face up to $2,000 in fines, and the car can be seized and impounded for up to six months.

"There are safe locations you can go and enjoy driving, but our roadways are not the location for that," Louisville Metro Police Sgt. Ronald Fey said in a news conference Monday.

LMPD has said for more than a year that street racing is impromptu and happens all over the country. Usually, the department learns of it when cars start blocking streets and the public calls. Police said they received calls one Saturday night last month about more than 300 vehicles racing and doing burnouts. At least two drivers were arrested.

Police also said that four people have died in the last year in street racing-related crashes.

"It does still occur, as we know, and we're working to address those when they do pop up," Fey said.

LMPD said the ordinance and the penalties have helped keep street takeovers and street racing off of the city's streets. Officers said that many of the cars impounded were from other areas, like Cincinnati and Indianapolis, thinking they could get away with the illegal activity in Louisville.

"A lot of the vehicles we were seizing were from people who came in from Cincinnati or Indianapolis that were coming to the community here thinking this was a place that was tolerated," Fey said.

While police and city leaders believe that the ordinance and its penalties have helped in the past year, both recognize that the problem still exists.

Councilwoman Donna Purvis, who was instrumental in creating the ordinance, said she's interested in creating tougher punishments within the ordinance.

"We want to see, constitutionally, if we can increase these fines," she said. "We think that these would be a deterrent for this type of behavior and this type of practice in the Louisville area."

Purvis said Metro Council would be open to hearing from LMPD about additional resources next year's budget could provide to help stop the illegal activity.

"If LMPD comes to us and says, 'Hey, we need more tools, we need more surveillance, we need more drones, what have you,' these are the things I'm thinking the council would support them in the need to stop the illegal drag racing," she said.

The department said to call the police tip line at 574-LMPD to report any street racing or street takeover activity.

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