ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputy was challenged to a street race last weekend.

A driver revved his engine and then took off next to a marked patrol car.

BCSO says they are cracking down on street racing in the metro by patrolling problem streets like Montgomery and Paseo del Norte both from the roads and from the air.

“Fully marked vehicles sitting in medians does tend to slow people down,” said Connor Otero, a deputy with BCSO’s traffic unit. “We do have speed cameras that alleviated it a little bit, but that doesn’t replace having the presence of having a marked unit in the area. That slows them down more than anything.”

Otero says they usually have more than 25 patrol cars out on the weekend looking for illegal street racing, but some drivers say they still want to see more done.

Otero says it’s always helpful for folks to call in and report street racing when they see it. He said it’s helpful to include the time, location, vehicle description, and even license plate if you can.