A road safety campaigner says a heightened police presence would "dampen down" illegal street racing in the long term, but a youth worker argues a more community-based approach is required.
Police issued hundreds of infringement notices, arrested people and seized vehicles across the long weekend in a targeted blitz on boy racer events and other anti-social behaviour on the roads.
Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson said impounding cars and fining drivers would only work for "low risk offenders".
"For the high-risk offenders, that is the guys that don't give a damn, they'll be heroes today."
He said the current police response was "probably about right" to deal with large groups of predominantly young men meeting up to cause chaos.
"They're [the police] never going to stop them, you're not going to stop teenagers being what they are. But they're dampening it down and sending a fairly clear message that there will be consequences, that's about the best you can do."
Youth development worker Aaron Hendry agreed the issue of illegal street racing had been "going on forever".
He said at their core, young people were searching for connection, belonging, community and "a bit of thrill and a bit of fun".
Hendry said it was important from a youth development perspective to provide safe spaces where they can find all of that in a "healthier way".
"I sometimes get a bit concerned that we don't like young people to exist in public. I think it's important we create spaces for our young people to have fun, to be connected," he said.
Clive disagreed, saying the fact that the racing is illegal is what attracts them to the thrill.
"It's been tried before saying 'do it on a safe racetrack'. But no, they want to go out and push the envelope and say 'I am here, I am effective and I don't give a damn what you say.'"
He referred to an incident in Levin last month when police were outnumbered during a large disorder event as a turning point for police handling of boy racers.
"They've got a very clear presence; they'll prosecute some of them. But above all else, it's the same as when you park a police car at the side of a road, people slow down."
Hendry disagreed, saying "the solutions are in the community".
"One of the challenges we have is a lot of adults talking about young people and what they want without actually talking to them or with them."
He said asking young people what they are looking for while also responding to concerns of the community is the solution.
"Our young people are thriving, intelligent, smart people and when we sit down and have some real conversations, there's opportunity to grow from there."
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