Western Bay of Plenty police say the region is an attractive target for boy racers and that is one of the reasons why the area recorded the second highest number of boy racer offences in 2009.
Figures released by New Zealand Police show that 223 boy racer offences were issued in the Bay of Plenty in 2009, second only to the 243 boy racer offences in Canterbury.

Head of the Western Bay's Strategic Traffic Unit, senior sergeant Ian Campion, is not surprised by the figures and says Tauranga and Mount Maunganui attract youths with ‘souped-up' cars.
'It's the happening place to be. A lot of young people come here and it's the same for other places in the Bay of Plenty. We are the popular place.”
Ian says that since December 24, Western Bay of Plenty police have issued over 100 non-operating orders to boy racer type vehicles.
'The non-operating orders were issued for various defects and noisy exhausts.”
In 13 days between December 24 and January 5, Western Bay police handed out 68 non-operation orders to boy racers.
'The figures are not a surprise to me. Given the emphasis Bay of Plenty police, and in particular Western Bay of Plenty police, give to delinquent type of offending.
'Western Bay of Plenty police have always had a consistent approach to delinquent driver behaviour.”