Philadelphia Police, City Councilmembers Continue Initiative To Get Dirt Bikes, ATVs Off Streets Ahead Of Improving Weather
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Their noise can disrupt a neighborhood and the riders can create some dangerous situations for drivers! Philadelphia Police are once again cracking down on ATV and dirt bike riders as councilmembers work on a safe place for them to ride.
Well, it's that time of the year again. As the weather gets nicer, we see more dirt bikes and ATVs out on the streets and police are asking for your help to track these motorists down.
This is what Philadelphia Police deal with once it starts to warm up in the city. This is cell phone video of an active police chase of an ATV on Sunday.
"A couple years ago, we had some issues with the ATVs and it sort of went away after a while. But, last year and this year, it was brought to a new level," said Philadelphia City Councilmember Mark Squilla.
Video shows riders on North Broad Street Monday afternoon, riding into oncoming traffic.
That's what's prompted the continuation of the police department's dirt bike and ATV initiative -- an initiative Councilmember Squilla supports.
"We also have to enforce the law and not allow people to continue using the streets as their dirt bike park. We know that there are violations, and a lot of the dirt bikes are illegal," Squilla said.
This past weekend, Philadelphia Police were able to confiscate 46 vehicles and make one arrest.
But councilmembers like Squilla and Derek Green are also looking into a location to allow these riders to show off their skills — safely — and not in the middle of a busy highway.
"We've had hearings on this issue. I've looked into -- there's issues of liability, is it commercially viable, who's going to maintain and do the upkeep of these locations," Green said.
It's an active conversation that will be more focused come spring when city council enters the budget process.
"As we get into the warmer months, this is going to be a bigger and bigger issue," said Green.
If you have any information on where some of these ATVs are being stored or operated, Philadelphia Police are asking you to give them a call.
