Police Crack Down on ATVs and Dirt Bikes in New Haven

One resident said they are like “locusts coming down out of the sky.”

Many police departments in Connecticut believe all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes that riders are choosing to use on city streets are not only deafening, but also dangerous.

Riders are invading city centers, defying rules and regulations and putting people at risk, according to authorities.

First, you hear them coming.

"It sounds like thunder coming down the street,” New Haven Police Officer David Hartman said while discussing the low rumble that grows louder as it rolls into the heart of the Elm City.

Suddenly, they can be all around you, he said.

Dozens of riders -- some even wearing masks -- on dirt bikes and four-wheelers have been seen weaving their way through traffic as they zip down busy city streets.

"They're doing tricks. They're standing on top of the seats. They're doing wheelies,” Hartman said.

What is happening in New Haven is happening in cities across the country and Hartman said it is much more than just “a nuisance.”

"It's dangerous for bystanders. It's dangerous for other motorists. It's dangerous for the officers,” Hartman said.

"It's like locusts coming down out of the sky to take over the city,” Peter Webster, captain of the Wooster Square Block Watch, said.

Riders are putting themselves and people around his neighborhood at risk, Webster said.

"It's like a show for them, and for us it's very dangerous,” Webster said. "It's impossible to chase them because it's too difficult."

Officer Hartman said combatting the problem starts with identifying who the riders are and where the motorized bikes and ATVs are being stored.

Investigators have recently been going undercover, taking surveillance photographs and even tracking online activity to pinpoint and prosecute offenders.

"We've seen postings on social media where people brag about how they were able to do this and that and get away with it,” Officer Hartman said.

With recent legislative changes, police departments are taking a harder stance on the issue. No longer are they treating these cases as motor vehicle violations, but instead as criminal activity.

Many departments are even charging people with reckless endangerment.

A conviction could come with a $1,000 fine and possible jail time, according to Hartman.

"We're seeing success in the courts,” Hartman said. “We're seeing success in apprehensions and we're certainly seeing success in seizures." 

The New Haven Police Department acknowledges that it is getting more help from people coming forward with information about where these types of bikes and ATVs are, which is leading to the riders themselves.

Hartman said he hopes the efforts make city streets quieter and safer in the future.

Connecticut law requires that all-terrain vehicles operated in the state to be registered, unless the vehicle is being operated on property owned or leased by the owner of the ATV.

According to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, any Connecticut municipality may regulate the operation of ATVs.

According to the DEEP website, Connecticut does not currently have any public areas open to quads. There are also no state-managed areas open to dirt bikes although the Army Corps of Engineers facility at Thomaston Dam is available for two-wheeled trail bike riding.

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