Hundreds of bike riders take over Miami streets on MLK Day
MIAMI - More than 160 people were arrested in a Miami-Dade police safety initiative to save lives and make communities safer over the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
Monday afternoon, hundreds of bicyclists were seen pedaling and doing wheelies as they took over streets in downtown Miami. Chopper 4 images showed the bikers riding on both sides of the street interrupting traffic.
Police were closely monitoring the riders and were not going to let them get on the highways.
The group of riders then headed to Coconut Grove.
"That's the sad thing about this. They're utilizing a day like today that should be celebrating, remembering somebody great, and instead, they use this as an excuse to be lawless," said Miami-Dade police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta.
Miami-Dade police said their safety initiative kicked off Friday and ran through Monday to address the unlawful use of All Terrain Vehicles (ATV), motorcycles, and dirt bikes.
Police said during the operation they made 169 arrests, issued 693 citations, impounded 25 firearms, and seized 83 vehicles. They also recovered 20 stolen vehicles.
The annual "Wheels Up, Guns Down" street ride event started as a way to honor a slain biker in Philadelphia but in recent years it's become a dangerous display of riders doing stunts and racing on South Florida streets.
Miami-Dade police, the Broward Sheriff's Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and other local law enforcement agencies said they had a zero-tolerance policy for any ATV or dirt bike riders who ride recklessly, block traffic, ride against it, pop wheelies, or ride on sidewalks.
Miami-Dade leads the state in motorcycle crashes, so through September police will be stepping up their enforcement of the laws. While motorcycles are street legal, Miami-Dade police said there are many unlicensed and untrained riders on the roadways who have limited knowledge of the requirements for eye protection and registration. They add that lane splitting is not legal in the state.
They said there is a clear need for a renewed focus on motorcycle enforcement and education.