Street takeovers are back in action and residents are trying to make their voices heard.
City, municipal and state leaders gathered on Tuesday to urge the state to pass two new bills aimed at cracking down on street takeovers, illegal dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles.
One of the bills is SB 1284: An Act Concerning Street Takeovers and the Illegal use of Certain Vehicles.
Currently as it relates to ATVs and dirt bikes, cities are allowed to fine drivers and gas stations that allow people to fuel their ATVs and dirt bikes, according to New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.
The new legislation, SB 1284, would allow cities to destroy ATVs and dirt bikes that are confiscated.
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“It ensures we can destroy dirt bikes and ATVs, we’ve got a trailer full of ATVs and dirt bikes we want to get rid of and we don’t want to auction them off because it will just end up circulating back in our community,” Elicker said.
New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson said the issue isn't only happening in New Haven, but across the entire state.
“The riding of ATVs on our streets is extremely dangerous, we’ve seen fatalities, we’ve seen people get hurt," Jacobson said.
In November, officials from New Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Meriden, Naugatuck and Woodbridge came together to create a task force to address people riding on dirt bikes in city streets and people engaging in street takeovers.
Elicker said the task force has been generating results, but more still needs to be done.
“To date the task force has seized 65 vehicles, issued 32 tickets and made five arrests, so you can see this is working," Elicker said.
North Haven First Selectman Mike Freda emphasized the unruly behavior on city streets will not be tolerated.
“If you try to take over our streets with these ATVs, they will not only be confiscated, but they will be crushed and that is our mission,” Freda said.
In addition to SB 1284, local, municipal and state leaders are also urging the state to pass SB 1389, An Act Authorizing Certain Ordinances Concerning Street Takeovers.
If passed, SB 1389 would allow for stiffer fines and penalties for people who participate in street takeovers, whether as operators or spectators; including facing fines of up to $2,000, having their vehicles impounded and having their driver’s licenses suspended or revoked.
“To the people that engage in this sort of behavior, again it is not cool, it is not safe, it is dangerous, you have to stop doing it,” Attorney General William Tong said.
