Whether it is an old-fashioned drag race on a quarter-mile of city street straightaway, weaving in and out of traffic at 100-mph-plus on interstates or performing stunts in public parking lot, the street racing culture brings danger, and sometimes tragedy, to those unfortunate enough to be nearby.

Two years ago, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office assigned three prosecutors to work directly at area police precincts, in hopes of streamlining the criminal justice system and to keep from charging people for crimes if there’s not enough evidence to establish probable cause.