MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Arrests for reckless driving and drag racing in Memphis are down by more than one-third this year compared to last, police told city council Tuesday.

Deputy Chief Samuel Hines said there are now fewer “car takeover” events in the city.

From January through June this year, police said there have been 242 adults arrested on drag racing or reckess driving charges, and 27 juveniles arrested. In the same period last year, there had been 388 adult arrests and 21 juvenile arrests.

Hines attributed the decrease in arrests to assistance from Tennessee Highway Patrol on local interstates and highways, the creation of MPD’s Special Traffic Enforcement Unit and the fact that some of the biggest offenders have been arrested.

THP said 13 state troopers are assigned to Memphis, with more coming in from other districts. On any given day, there might be 20 or 30 state troopers in Memphis, about double the number previously working in the area. The agency said it is working on increasing those numbers.

City council members told THP officers that their presence was welcomed and appreciated.

The community’s frustration at reckless driving, from cars spinning out and doing donuts on city streets to aggressive driving on interstates, has boiled over in the past year or so, leading to an increased effort by city leaders to combat the problem.