Dirt bikes are causing a concern for safety throughout Syracuse, and police are buckling down on the illegal actions of these riders.
Transcript
GOODMAN: That’s the sound of a dirt bike illegally riding down Erie Boulevard in Syracuse, a hotspot for ATV and drag racing activities. The spring months are underway, and warmer temperatures bring more vehicles like dirt bikes on the roads. Syracuse police department says that property damage and noise complaints from dirt bikes are some of the biggest complaints they get annually. The use of dirt bikes causes a concern for safety in the Syracuse community. Public information officer Matthew Malinowski says dirt bikes do more bad for the community than good.
SGT. MALINOWSKI: “These riders don’t follow the laws, they drive all over public and private property, usually destroying it in the process, they get involved in traffic safety in general when they’re cutting off vehicles driving recklessly.”
GOODMAN: It is illegal in Syracuse to ride ATV’s on city streets, but most choose to do so anyway. Their high speeds and ability to drive on rough surfaces makes it difficult for police to catch riders. Malinowski says that officers do not want to take bikes, but want people to enjoy biking in a legal way.
SGT. MALINOWSKI: “We’re not anti-ATV, we’re just saying you need to do it not on city streets and on proper property where it’s designed to be ridden.
GOODMAN: The police department is asking for people to report dirt bikes driving on city property to promote the safety of the community. Ben Goodman, NCC news.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Temperatures are starting to warm up across Syracuse as the calendar turns over to the months of spring, but the return of pleasant weather also calls for the return of reckless dirt bike riders.
Dirt bikes are illegal on city roads and public property, but this does not stop riders from disrupting the Syracuse community with the roar of their engines. It is one of the biggest complaints officials receive each year, according to the Syracuse Police Department. While it is a dangerous activity for the riders themselves, property destruction and out-of-control driving poses a far greater safety hazard for innocent residents living their lives.
“These riders don’t follow the laws, they drive all over public and private property, destroying it in the process,” Police Sgt. Matthew Malinowski said. “They get involved with traffic safety in general when they’re cutting off vehicles driving recklessly.”
It is difficult to contain dirt bike riders due to the bikes’ high speeds and ability to drive on surfaces other than a road, according to police. Most riders do not feel threatened by police presence, according to Malinowski, and they are able to evade officers easily by driving through yards and parks, something that police cars cannot do.
That’s why the police department is asking residents to report the presence of dirt bikes on city property to help cut down the number of illegal riders on the road. Riders are encouraged by police to follow the laws and limit riding to private property where it is allowed because the last thing police want to do is confiscate people’s bikes.
“We’re not anti-ATV,” said Malinowski. “We’re just saying you need to do it not on city streets and on proper property where it’s designed to be ridden.”