Despite NYC's efforts, some residents say illegal dirt bikes and ATVs on streets are still a big problem
NEW YORK -- Illegal vehicles taking over New York City streets is not a new problem, but some feel it has gotten worse.
On Monday, CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis spoke to people frustrated by those creating safety hazards in their neighborhoods and has more on what's being done.
Dozens of dirt bikes and ATVs could be seen racing through a Washington Heights intersection, some doing wheelies, on Sunday afternoon.
"If you see in the video there's a chance for the pedestrians to cross and they just can't do anything," resident Chris Vicari said.
Vicari captured video at 160th and Broadway.
"What I care about is just the safety of other people in the area," Vicari said.
A few hours later in Queens, a scene unfolded on Woodhaven Boulevard. A neighbor said it's nothing new.
"You gotta hear it at night. They come whizzing by, full throttle, 2 o'clock in the morning. You got a 90-year-old mother. This one is gonna have a heart attack," the neighbor said.
He expressed safety concerns, as did another man who also shared video. DeAngelis spoke to him on the phone.
"Countless quads, dirt bikes and mopeds. But there was one lone police car in the back with the lights on, but there was no officer interacting with them ... or there was no backup giving chase," he said.
CBS2 was told officers are not authorized to pursue dirt bikes for the purpose of seizing the bike. They can only approach when it's stopped for gas, parked, or stored in a location. That's according to sources, who say cops use roadblocks, follow with helicopters and other means to try and stop them.
As of June 21, the NYPD seized more than 1,900 of these illegal vehicles. That's up 88 percent from the same time frame last year.
Last month, the city bulldozed nearly 100 of them, but some argue more needs to be done.
"It is becoming a harrowing experience for people to navigate city intersections and I'm hoping at this point more action will be taken, more enforcement will be taken, and more accountability for those that are riding recklessly or breaking traffic laws because it's getting more dangerous, not better," one person said.
"The NYPD is aggressively pursuing every method to rid our streets of illegal dirt bikes and ATV's. The end result must ensure the safety of our citizens while ridding our streets of this menace," the department said in a statement.
The NYPD released a photo of an enforcement operation, Sunday, in Queens.
It used sanitation blocker trucks to close off a section of Cross Bay Boulevard, where it's believed illegal dirt bikes would travel.
It's not clear if any arrests were made.
