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.”
