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Police launch crackdown on dirt bikes, ATVs
By adamg on Mon, 05/05/2014 - 8:04pm
That's enough of that, police say.
Boston Police report no more looking the other way at the packs of wheelie-popping mini-bikers that roam the city on weekends from Hyde Park to the Back Bay - which, granted, is what they said in 2011, too.
On Saturday afternoon, police say, officers looking specifically for dirt bikers and ATV riders wound up arresting three people and, along with the Fire Department, ordered "17 recreational vehicles in various stages of repair" removed from 14 Tampa St. in Mattapan:
Officers observed many of the vehicles leaning against the house, fence, and stored under the house porch. The officers believed that these vehicles, which are known to contain gasoline, petroleum, and oil, were causing a hazard near the dwelling and responded to the residence to investigate.
Officers spoke with the individuals outside the house and, upon further investigation, found 17 recreational vehicles in various stages of repair, as well as numerous engines and engine parts improperly stored inside and around the above property. Officers also discovered several registration plates and an engine that had been previously reported stolen. Upon the order of the Boston Fire Department, all improperly stored vehicles and items were removed from the property. The stolen items were also seized by the officers.
Police say riders can expect similar crackdowns as officers respond to complaints from residents fed up with "reckless and unsafe operation of these vehicles, and recent motor vehicle accidents involving severe injuries to the operators of recreational vehicles."
Police add the Hyde Park academy is now training officers in how to identify "the various methods in which recreational vehicles are unsafely stored near or inside of dwellings, and how this may result in numerous hazardous building code violations."
Only one of the three men arrested was actually charged with anything related to the equipment - Tyrone Searcy, 36, of Mattapan faces charges of receiving stolen property worth more than $250. Philip Edwards, 24, of Malden, was arrested for three outstanding warrants, while Ruben Casseus, 22, of Hyde Park was charged with having an open container of alcohol in public.
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
Good work BPD & BFD. Those
Good work BPD & BFD. Those things are a nuisance!
Not like they're hard to find
Not like they're hard to find. Just one cop hanging out on Washington street on the weekend with functioning hearing will do it.
bha
See them on blue hill Ave on my way home from work all the time....driving by cruisers.
Ya so a few Saturday in Egleston
two blocks from the police station.
In early March, I saw a pack
In early March, I saw a pack of them (15-25) tearing down Tremont between lanes and on the sidewalk. When they went past BPD headquarters, I assumed that meant they were bulletproof.
Deja vu?
Didn't Menino order a similar crackdown a year or two ago after a specific incident involving these things? My memory is fuzzy on the specifics and my smartphone is bad at searching for this, but I'm pretty sure there was some sort of hoohaw not too long ago about this very thing.
I wish I could remember things ...
You're right! City vows crackdown on motorized dirt bikes, including effort to get them banned altogether - in 2011.
Definitely an ongoing issue.
Definitely an ongoing issue.
"Crackdown"
I feel like I read about or hear about a crackdown on these guys every summer. And, yet, the number of dirtbikes and four-wheelers on the streets of Boston (and in Franklin Park. and on the sidewalks.) just seems to increase every year. Maybe this will be the year...
Boston police crackdown
Boston police crackdown works like this:
1. Exit Dunkies.
2. Open cruiser door.
3. Insert body into cruiser.
4. (Crack down).
I don't see what the problem
I don't see what the problem is? All I saw was a bunch of the city folks commuting to and from their colleges and jobs, just like any other productive member of society.
I love you when you're ironic
I love you when you're ironic.
Glad to see them get busted
Glad to see them get busted
Does this mean we should call the cops?
Does this mean I should actually call 911 when they are tearing up and down my street on off road ATVs without helmets? I gave up a long time ago on calling for this sort of thing. I was in traffic last week when a four wheeler came driving up alongside me in the bike lane and when traffic got in the way, he just hopped up on the sidewalk without slowing down. It makes me feel old to call this stuff in, but there are kids that ride bikes on the same streets. It's not just annoying, it's dangerous.
Also...
Do grown men not realize how stupid they look on a pocket bike?
I asked a cop I know
And he says yes, call.
Last summer there were about
Last summer there were about two or three dirt bikes that would ride all over the neighborhood at night, it was so loud that sleeping was not peaceful. I called 911 a few separate nights about it, but continued to hear them as well as see them in broad daylight riding on sidewalks and driving reckless. Then fall came and it lessened. It's sad when you can't look forward to the nice weather because of stuff like this.
Will they also crack down on
Will they also crack down on the segway tours that illegally drive on the sidewalks downtown?
Your precious fragile nerves!
Here, unclutch those pearls and take two spoonfuls of tonic, dear.
Screw the pearls
and clutch your 12-gauge instead. While I don't in general favor "Stand your ground" self defense laws, I think an exception could be made for people driving these assault vehicles on the sidewalks.
Segways are assault vehicles?
Seriously?
Do tell - exactly how many injuries have they caused? Deaths?
Oh, Okay....
Instead of a blanket SYG permission to shoot people riding Segways on the sidewalk, I'd be happy with a law that made it legal to shoot Allan Danley on sight, irrespective of whether or not he was on a Segway at the time. But I think that might technically be a bill of attainder, and therefore run afoul of the Constitution, so I guess I can't seriously say I would be in favor of such a law.
Any vehicle can kill - so why wait?
One would think that something as benign as a bicycle could never be the cause of death. But tell that to the family of a man who was hit by a bike messenger leading to his fatal heart attack. Could a Segway do the same? Of course. Even going slowly there is still enough energy transmitted that hitting a pedestrian will knock them down. That's enough to cause physical damage and if the person's body is already weak then kill them.
A few years ago a fellow who likes to ride his Segway down supermarket lanes was riding along the sidewalk as I stepped of a bus. He could have at least caused me physical harm. Or should I as a bus rider now look both ways when exiting onto the sidewalk just in case there is a Segway rider, biker, roller blader or skater coming my way?
I don't understand the reasoning behind waiting for harm or death to occur. Whatever happened to sensible prevention?
Mobile equipment that transmits enough energy to harm or kill do not belong on sidewalk where they can harm from children to elderly, babies in carriages, people with canes, crutches, etc.
Segways can be a good transportation option and I would welcome them on bike lanes, or even sidewalks that are very wide. But in narrow areas used by pedestrians (which I think describes most sidewalks) they are not a safe option.
Why not strollers? Why not wheel chairs?
Make a rational argument about segways as opposed to other modes of low speed travel and maybe I'll be willing to agree.
Otherwise, I don't see how there are any actual risks here - just irrational hating based on different = bad "logic" and heresay about "almost killed but didn't hit me" stories and WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN OLD PEOPLE!!!!11!!!!!11.
Meanwhile, people with disabilities who use them get hated on in the mix, which is ultimately wrong.
You're misinformed
It's not about the segways, it's about one guy.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/03/17/north-end-segway-company-fac...
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/03/19/boston-segway-owner-h...
http://www.universalhub.com/2011/city-hauls-segway-tour-operator-court
Reductio ad absurdum
A rational argument is a good way to work out whether Segways are dangerous on narrow sidewalks. But pushing the comparison to dangerous mobile devices to include strollers and wheelchairs is extreme and goes beyond outside the discussion of determining whether Segways should travel on narrow sidewalks.
A Segway weighs about 83 lbs. The minimum weight of a rider is 100 lbs. How much energy is delivered if a 183 lb. or heavier moving object hits a person? More than I want to be hit with certainly and I imagine most people can agree to not wanting to be hit by an object that heavy while it is moving. Criticizing my anecdotal experience does not negate the fact that had I not paid attention then the fellow on a Segway would have run into me causing harm.
What is the likelihood that a person driving a Segway is paying full attention? I believe low. In other words I believe the likelihood of an average Segway driver paying only partial attention is high. The person can not be talking on a cell phone or listening to an MP3 player. But given how many people are distracting themselves on bikes I see reason for expecting Segway drivers to distract themselves as well.
For anyone who needs a Segway - emphasizing need - I can see their use of the devices in places where they can be safely used. But that is an exception and not a rule. Appealing to handicapped people "being hated on in the mix" distracts from the issue of whether the devices are safe for use by the general public on narrow sidewalks.
Claiming "hating" itself is a red herring and hyperbole. It is a variation of "Godwin's Law."
As I wrote Segways in areas that provide sufficient space for them is fine. Bike lanes are good; there is an expectation of moving objects on bike lanes. Wide sidewalks provide enough room for pedestrians and Segway riders. But narrow sidewalks, which will include poles and other objects and curve cuts creating minor obstacles or variations in the surface are not the right place for Segways (or bikes, dirt bikes or rocket propelled skates).
Dear anon
Please register under some name or other.
Segways ARE Mobility Devices
Even Disney lost an ADA lawsuit over them. http://www.ada.gov/opdmd.htm
Get over yourself - those Walmart cliche power scooters weigh a lot more than a segway!
Welcome them in bike lanes?
Ok, then get ready to welcome me riding my bike in traffic. No doubt you'd have something to say about that, though.
You do know they are smaller
You do know they are smaller than a wheelchair?
Yes, they are smaller than wheelchairs
but, to my knowledge there are no "Boston by wheelchair" tour outfits operated by people who seem to like to provoke confrontation.
who's clutching pearls from their cozy suburban home??
relax, sububran princess swrrly... you don't live here so you don't have to deal with city problems like the rest of us do, but thanks for voicing your uninformed opinion!
Oh brave anon
You have no fucking idea where I work or what neighborhoods I travel.
I only spend about 60 hours a week in the city. Gee, what do I know??? I don't expect you to have the math acumen to calculate what a large percentage of waking hours or total hours of a week that is, though.
I encounter segtours all the time - greenway, north end, downtown. I've never had a problem with them. Then again, I don't expect to have any right to wander the city in autocolonscopy mode.
Aw..
Sucks cuz I like when the mini-bikes go up and down Blue Hill and Columbia. Makes me feel like summer's coming! Oh well. Boston aka no fun zone.
Oh what fun! Majority I see
Oh what fun! Majority I see out there appear to be on Kamikaze missions.
Darwin's Arcade
More like. Unfortunately, a dirt bag on a dirt bike has the motorized ability to kill others when on a mission from natural selection.
Mladen, not Malden
Serious question - do you want typos pointed out or just let them ride? I value the local reporting, etc.. and am not trying to be a nitpicker...
What I would suggest...
... and what I do....
Send Adam a message. If you click on his name in the top post, you can send a comment directly to him.
Sure, let me know
I'm in serious need of a copy editor, I readily admit! In the meantime, Mladen is now Malden.
Is paying jobe? Kan ofer many
Is paying jobe? Kan ofer many scills.
wow.
Doge for copy editor. Much edits. Very spellings. Wow.
So when the knight says M
So when the knight says M'lady he's really saying Maldy?
Mlada
A word that shows up in lots of Slavic languages (in some form) -- meaning young (or sometimes perhaps new).
Also an opera-ballet by Rimsky-Korsakov.
;~}
BPD INSTAGRAM
WELL WE ARE ON INSTAGRAM AND WE LIKE THESE GUYS GO CHECK US OUT BPDBIKELIFE
I've called 911 every day I've seen these jerks
Since late last summer and early fall. They are tearing up the newly replanted field at Franklin Park, but no cops ever show up. It's infuriating. The noise pollution is awful enough, but then they go and tear up the grass/turf that the city spent a year fixing and yet the cops don't seem to give two shits about protecting.
Totally agree that the cops
Totally agree that the cops do NOTHING.
I am all for a serious
I am all for a serious crackdown, in fact, it's about damned time. However, easier said than done. What happens when a pack of kids on dirt bikes, some without helmets, scatter and are running from the police in traffic? Someone may at least be seriously hurt, possibly a bystander. There is too much room for error. I wish BPD the best of luck and hope for success.
DARN!
Video has been removed.
Replaced video
With another. There's a ton of 'em.
Have these bikes killed anyone?
If not, then they are like scofflaw bicyclists, and why police have done little. I'd rather both groups behave lawfully.
A bit worse
They're worse than scofflaw bicyclists. Being motorized vehicles they need to meet certain requirements - working blinkers, headlight(s)(not for the rider's safety, but for everyone around them - conspicuity and all that), horn, minimum 1 mirror (I think left, but I forget, my moto has 2 mirrors), brakes, safe tires (i.e. not bald), meet exhaust sound requirements ...
Simply put, the vehicles aren't street legal. Those bikes and ATVs have no blinkers, maybe a headlight, maybe a horn, no mirrors, I'm pretty certain the pocket bikes are engine brake'd, I do not want to see those tires, and the mufflers most certainly do not meet the decibel requirement.
Never mind the riders aren't wearing helmets. I don't care if they don't wear other gear - a scrub down in the ER for road rash might stop them from being so stupid, but I also wouldn't wish that kind of scrub down on anyone.
A Tale of two cities
Black urban teens drive dirt bikes, ATV's and motorized scooters and are the next coming of the Hells Angels. White teens travel in packs and skateboard on busy sidewalks and on historic monuments causing damage to them and no one says a word.
Its springtime in Boston which means when the weather gets hot black teenagers will flock to the beaches where the MSP will drive them off the beaches claiming they are gangbangers and no one says a word and the pols slip an item in the budget to give MSP a million in overtime to kick the black kids off the beaches
Not even going to respond to
Not even going to respond to the ridiculous comparison of motorized vehicles bobbing in and out of traffic to skateboarding.
You mean like a few years ago when there was a fight organized via social media? A few hundred kids showed up at Carson Beach to fight. Ya, what a bunch of jerks MSP are, probably saved a few lives that day. MSP throw all of the kids off the beach not just black kids.
Not what happened
There was no fight at Carson Beach organized over social media. Several hundred kids showed up because it was hot, TWO girls got into a fight, a couple dozen kids gathered to watch and State Police completely overreacted, sweeping the beach, the street and even Little League games at Moakley Park.
http://www.universalhub.com/2011/boston-police-no-evidence-gang-involvem...
Don't confuse people...
... by bringing up facts. It's just not fair. ;-}
I was not under the
I was not under the impression that gangs were involved. It was high school kids, one of my co-worker's children was in attendance. They did go there to see a fight. At least some did.
MSP always sweep the beach, especially after dark. They also chase away the white kids that drink up the beach at M St. In my experience, the MSP do not discriminate. In this instance I wouldn't call it, "A tale of two cities".
Yes, I am sure the hundreds
Yes, I am sure the hundreds of "kids" that showed up that day were all there to peacefully enjoy the scenery and be wonderful citizens.
A delinquent girl fight with a bunch of others watching, sounds like a great day at the beach! Its just what other decent normal people trying to enjoy their day needed in their lives!
Guaranteed that there would have been more trouble than that had the MSP not went in there. Its simply naive to believe that these "kids" were there with innocent intentions, or that anything good would come out it.
You and I, of course, are pure as the driven snow
Because us white folks would never, ever do something like congregate around a fight and cheer on the combatants.
Unfortunately, the video got pulled off YouTube pretty quickly, but before it did, yeah, I saw what I described - 2 girls getting into a fight. It happens.
Please, kids on skateboards
Please, kids on skateboards get kicked out of places all the time. They also aren't revving engines at midnight, destroying the quality of life for peaceful residents. These dirt bikes and ATV's are illegal to drive on the streets and most of these guys aren't even licensed anyway. When people start making excuses and defending reckless behavior, its brings the quality of life down and the crime goes up.
Oh and kick the black kids off the beaches? Sorry but any group that is causing a public nuisance and being loud, obnoxious, yelling and fighting should be dealt no matter who they are. Can't they go and behave like civilized people? Why would any one group think they have the right to ruin quality of life for everyone else?
Skateboards are noisy
especially when kids are practicing tricks, jumps, grinds etc. Making the bearings and boards quieter would reduce complaints.
Are you serious?
Or just a fool troll?
Your car honking at legally operating cyclists on side streets is way more annoying than a skater.
Skateboarding
Hey! I've seen black urban kids on skateboards and white urban kids on ATVs/dirt bikes (non-street legal). But sorry, I don't go to the beach any more, so I can't speak to that.
Dirt Bike
Makes me want to head up to NH and grab my NH plated Motorcycle. It's 100% legal to drive a dirt bike on city streets as long as it's plated. Luckily in NH it's very easy to get a dirt bike plated.
There is a reason the
There is a reason the operators do not want plates on the dirt bikes.
simple solution
BPD needs a few of these....seriously.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=885_1396512420
Here's the thing. You get
Here's the thing. You get tired of calling BPD for these quality-of-life infractions only to have zero response. And then, when BPD starts caring about these things and it's all, "You need to call us." Um, we have been.
That said...
About 10 years ago there was a problem with drag-racing on Hyde Park Ave., very late on weekend nights (or early on weekend mornings--depending on your perspective.) This went on for a few weeks and then I called my City Councilor. The staffer with whom I spoke told me that they were aware that this was a problem, and police supervisor in charge of that district had been trying, without luck, to catch the group of people responsible. Now, one could argue that all you would have had to do was to park a couple police cars somewhere on the avenue. Car one radios to car two... Whatever. Anyway, what I was told to do was to call the police when I heard the cars. A few times of doing this and the problem seemed to take care of itself.
Then a few years later came those stupid mini-dirtbikes--the ones which were so low to the ground that you couldn't see them. Again, I called BPD a few times when groups would troll up and down HPA. They were noisy and I didn't want an unsuspecting driver to hit one of the bikers because they couldn't be seen. Again, as far as I could tell, BPD did nothing. Somehow, though, the bikes seemed to disappear by the next year. I assumed that the engines burned out and none of the kids had the cash to get them repaired. But, perhaps Massachusetts got them taken off the road?
BULLSHIT
how many pof last years homicides are still unsolvedhow many shootings happen everyday in this city..... oh never mind that right? this is all happening because the police chased that boy a coupple of weeks ago and he died as a result of the chase... FUCK BPD for this... we have serious issues in the city and the damn dirtbikes are not one them...
Homicide detectives are not being reassigned to dirt-bike duty
You can make the argument BPD is not doing enough to solve homicides, but it's not because beat patrolmen are finally being given permission to go after dirt bikes.
I'd argue doing something about them is a legitimate thing for the police to do. Sooner or later, one of these guys will ride up on a sidewalk and hit a pedestrian and that pedestrian is going to be knocked into a coma or be paralyzed or die. One of the things police should be doing is protecting the public from a fate like that.
I also wanted to be protected....
... from accidentally maiming or killing one of the people whose unwise actions put them at risk, even from drivers who are driving with a normal level of caution and attentiveness.
Have you ever read into the
Have you ever read into the broken windows theory? You might want to.
Until communities as a whole
Until communities as a whole realize that quality of life issues and crime go hand in hand, not much progress can be made.
What did the deceased do to
What did the deceased do to "get chased" and why did he run from the police?
Model Citizens
Oh so sorry, those urban dirt bikers are a pretty nice bunch of fellows.
Criminals not limited to one crime at a time
We often hear how a traffic stop leads to the arrest of someone wanted for other things. The story at hand describes stolen parts were among the items found. If the cops pursue something that is easy to witness and act on, that gives them a chance to discover other evidence at the same time. Also, lesser offenses gives prosecutors leverage to get bigger fish as part of a plea bargain.
these bikes are bringing our City together
I ride bikes an I see all these different guys from different part of Boston that wouldn't come together Ride together. BPD mad because the homicide rates is going to drop, cause instead of kids going out buying Guns they buying Bikes, Parts for bikes, not drugs or ammo. An when somebody tells.you not to do something what the natural reaction... THE ANSWER IS GIVE US SOMEWHERE TO RIDE UNTIL THEN WE IN THESE STREETS
How about you start by learning how to drive?
I'd have a bit more respect for you then.
There is a problem in MA with this
In some states and many other countries, you don't have to learn to drive a car first and then get a motorcycle license. Some places allow scooter licenses (<50 cc) for 16 year olds, even when they don't permit driving until age 18.
The problem being that motorcycles are great for people who want motorized transport but not the expense of having a car, yet MA demands that you have access to driving a car. That makes little sense given how little they bother testing on understanding of road rules in the first place!
MA really has some backward laws when it comes to licensing, riding, registering, parking and taxing motorcycles. Of course, the answer isn't to ignore them but to work to change them to something more sensible, given the flat landscape, tight road network, and other urban features.
ALSO, a plug for the MSF here: http://www.msf-usa.org/
If you are considering a motorcycle, you can take a course using theirs and even get your license this way (if you already have a car license ...).
I Respectfully Disagree
I have a friend who only has a Class M license and I thought he said he'd never had a Class D one. So I went to the MA RMV website to verify:
I agree with the MSF class - it's how I obtained my Class M. You only need the Class M learner's permit to take the beginner course. They also offer Experienced Rider Classes.
Thanks!
My kids are going to be thrilled about this - no interest in cars, uncle is an MSF instructor.
2010 - that's why I didn't know. It probably wasn't implemented until 2011 or 2012. Of course, our searches for information around 2012 (when the oldest was eligible) turned up nothing at all about this.
My Pleasure!
Here's where I found it. :)
Go to NH, plenty of places to
Go to NH, plenty of places to ride. Starland in Hanover? They have Go-carts and bumper boats, as well as an arcade for all to play.
"An when somebody tells.you not to do something what the natural reaction" < Are you 12?
Accuracy
Hmm... let me just fix that for you:
Much better.
Somewhere to ride
There's are some excellent short piers on the waterfront you could take a long ride on.
Follow the rules then
There are laws and standards for both bikes and driving them. Follow the laws and you can buy bikes and ride them all you want.
If riding is the only thing between you and a drug-fueled murder spree, it's time for a new hobby or new friends.
Don't think the laws are right? Talk to your legislator and get them changed. Put together a petition and get your question on the ballot. Please note that talking like a 10-year-old will not sway opinions to your point of view and expecting everyone else to fix things for you will not get you anywhere.
I suspect they will find plenty to keep themselves occupied.
Street Legal
There are plenty of street legal bikes out there for you to purchase. You can find tons of them on Cragislist for sale cheap - and by cheap, I mean the kind stunters have ridden for less than 1000 miles so plenty of life left in them), modded up the wazoo (some mods may not be street legal of course), perhaps slightly crashed and then decided they need a liter bike. So they're ready for you to buy at a good price.
You do know that you don't need a liter bike to have a good time riding around on the streets of Boston, right? In fact I'd venture that you'd have more fun on a smaller bike wringing it out on the twisties, provided it's geared properly.
Riding the streets is fine, just don't be a dick (to quote Wil Wheaton). I don't think the riders I've seen / heard out there know that revving the engine as high as it can go is kind of really bad for the engine. If they cared about their bikes, they might not do that so much. Or At All. Besides the fact that it's not pleasant to hear. I have empathy for those bikes, quite honestly.
And if you really feel the need for speed, check out a track day, you might learn something about cornering. That's a thrill much more fun that Go fast! Go straight! oooOOOooo those G-forces in a turn - such a great feeling!
Tony's Track Days up in NH Their motto is No Cops No Cars ... and the road surface is prepped for you - no sand from winter, no oils from other vehicles, no potholes ... You'll need proper gear, though. The website tells you how to prep your bike for it
And if you think I don't know what I'm talking about, I ride a Ducati Multistrada 620 and have ridden 2 wheels for 12 years. Keep the rubber side down, peeps.
I was walking
down Boylston St. Friday evening by the Boloco @ the Commons and saw a group of them for the first time led by an ATV. Wasn't aware this was a thing - ugh.
Boston Police is so worried
Boston Police is so worried about dirt bikes but what they really need to be worried about is the stabbing and shooting and get them guns off the street I rather see the young people out here on dirt bikes and not seeing them killing yourself
I'd rather see literacy.
I'd rather see literacy.