Car Rally Information Sheet for Parents
What is a Car Rally?
A car rally is a treasure-hunt type of event in which high school seniors get together at night, either on or off school property, to begin their hunt. The students are divided into teams, each with a car, and these teams race to find and complete their list. The list can typically range from innocent miscellaneous household items, to more rowdy and disruptive acts such as streaking, stealing, or speeding. In some cases, people have been injured. The winning team gets the money collected from the entry fee and parties usually follow the rally.
Why now?
Information circulating in the west end schools is that Car Rallies are a very popular activity for the graduating class to hold. Several schools have potentially got rallies planned in the coming weeks- leading up to the end of the school year. Rallies are used as a means to raise funds for graduation. Teams pay to enter and the winning team gets half of the money, the rest is used to pay for other grad initiatives. Participants are provided with a list of tasks which are often assigned a points value. The team that accumulates the highest number of points wins.
What kind of tasks?
The tasks can rang from the sublime, such as eating something distasteful to criminal in nature. The higher point items are usually assigned to the more dangerous and potentially serious consequences. Past rallies have suggested participants get themselves on video driving on the 417 at speeds of 150 km/hr., directing traffic without clothes on at busy intersections and kidnapping students who are known to be younger; such as grade 9 student. They often involve mischief to property, indecent exposure, thefts and moving violations.
What is OPS doing?
School Resource Officers are attending student assemblies in West Division and are meeting with the organizers of the rallies to advise of the potential consequences and liability they assume by being involved in leadership roles. Students are being addressed and advised officers are taking a Zero Tolerance approach to incidents that contravene either Municipal, Provincial or Federal statutes. Patrol officers, District officers and Investigators will be conducting enforcement and will fully investigate any incidents that are related to car rallies. Charges will be laid where applicable.
What should Parents Be Aware of?
Along with the assemblies, a communiqué is being sent out to local weekly papers and in letters home to parents about the fact that these events are unsanctioned by the school.
OPS wants parents to be aware of the consequences under the Criminal Code, Highway Traffic Act, Parental responsibility Act and Insurance repercussions should their children be stopped by police or worse, involved in an accident while taking part. Any and all provincial and municipal statutes will be considered when charges are pursued.
These Rallies are a drain on police, fire and paramedic resources and tie up emergency workers for significant lengths of time, keeping them from attending potentially more pressing calls for service at peak times.
Officers responding to these calls are making every effort to contact parents if youth are under 18. Parents may be asked to attend the scene to collect their child.
Parents should be aware that these are not the Car Rallies or scavenger hunts of their day. Most parents are quite horrified at the tasks their children are engaging in- which involve degrading and lude acts, not to mention put theirs and others lives in danger.
To avoid tragedy and potentially long-lasting repercussions, OPS is asking that parents find out what their children are planning to do when they borrow the family car on a Friday or Saturday night.
Remember, you are well within your rights to ask those crucial questions and if you are not satisfied, deny them use of your vehicle.
Finally, OPS is also requesting that residents who are affected by these pranks, contact police with any information they may have to assist in these investigations.
- Ottawa Police Service call Centre : (613) 236-1222 ext 7300,
- For crimes in progress, call 613-230-6211; and
- For life threatening calls, please call 9-1-1.
If you are aware of an upcoming rally and wish to advise police- consider calling West Division School Resource Office at 613-236-1222 ext 2271, Crime Stoppers at 613-233-8477 or visit www.crimestoppers.org.