Some dirt bikers have been brazenly speeding down the streets of New London and now police are cracking down even more on those riding illegally.
A new ordinance passed by the City Council Monday gives officers more teeth to crack down on unregistered ATVs, mini bikes and mini motorcycles, pocket bikes and dirt bikes on public property. The ordinance deems it illegal.
When it comes to private property, a rider needs written permission from that property owner, if the property is not owned by the driver or passenger.
If not, the driver could face a $1,000 fine for their first violation, passengers would be subject to a $100 fine, and officers will cease the vehicle permanently and could destroy it or sell it. The only exception is if a vehicle is subject to a lien or is listed as stolen in a federal database.
“Residents are fed up. They’re fed up with these riders terrorizing their streets, running them off the road, going the wrong way on one-way streets,” said New London Crime Prevention and Traffic Officer Ryan Soccio.
Soccio drafted the ordinance with the city’s attorney. Last year, New London Police got 120 calls about this but according to Soccio, the number is misleadingly low.
“The Police Department, we’re a victim of harassment a lot of the times by these guys. They’ll ride close behind our cruisers, they’ll try to bait us into chasing them,” Soccio said.
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Video obtained by NBC Connecticut from Keith Mutch’s surveillance cameras on Jay Street show a dirt bike blowing a red light and cutting in front of a car while doing wheelies.
Julisa Cabrera lives and drives school buses in New London and said dirt bikes have always been a problem.
“They drive crazy, they pass us – especially us as school bus drivers – they pass us in front, they grab the handle from the bus in the back while we’re driving,” Cabrera said, adding a that a new, tougher ordinance was needed.
Scott Samuel Garbini told NBC Connecticut via Facebook messenger that these bikes fly down Montauk Avenue upwards of 90 miles per hour doing wheelies through intersections.
“I have seen a few really bad potential collisions because of the recklessness and carelessness of the drivers,” he wrote and said he’s reported it to police.
He also feels there should d be a place for people to legally ride dirt bikes, but there’s not many options available in the city. He’s in favor of the new ordinance.
Retailers of these vehicles will need to post the ordinance in their place of business or face a $100 fine. Gas stations will need to put up signs visible from all gas pumps and are not allowed to sell to prohibited vehicles or get slapped with a $100 fine, too.
Faisal Majeed, manager of the Pump N’ Munch on Ocean Avenue said he’s willing to post the signage, but has questions about enforcement.
“If people are still coming in here, even after watching those signs, with unregistered bikes or dirt bikes to get their gas, I hope that police have some mechanism to tell us how to check those bikes,” Majeed said.
The rules do not include any dirt bikes on the road or highway that are properly registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles and following motor vehicle laws.
