Baltimore police share photos of dirt-bike riders, set up tip hotline

Baltimore police are searching for a new group of suspects known by names like “Wheelie Wayne,” “Money Muk” and “Pretty Thug.”

The department has begun posting images gathered from social media sites and asking the public for tips in its latest effort to deter illegal dirt-bike riding in the city.

“They’re people who are illegally riding dirt bikes up and down the roadways continuously,” police spokesman T.J. Smith said. “We’re taking a pretty proactive approach to this, different to what we have done in the past.

“It’s such a significant safety issue,” Smith said.

Since the police won’t chase dirt-bike riders, the creation of the hotline for tips establishes a more intelligence-based policing strategy as the department seeks information on where dirt bikes are being stored, who is riding and which gas stations they are using to fill up.

“We’re not going to chase, but we are going to use other resources available,” Smith said.

“This is not an indictment of the entire dirt-biking culture, but it is illegal,” he said of riding dirt bikes on the streets.

State law requires motorcyclists to wear helmets and have lights on their bikes, which many dirt bikes lack. The safety risk presented by the dirt-bike riders is too great, Smith said.

Less than three weeks after launching the tip line, Smith called the effort “really successful.” “The phone didn’t stop ringing,” he said. Once the individuals depicted on the department’s site are identified and located, Smith said, they could be cited for illegal riding or other traffic violations and could have their bikes confiscated.

“Every scenario is different,” he said. “We’re pretty confident we are going to get people identified.”