Young bicyclists stir up trouble

Police department says education of law will fix problem

Lately, many have been complaining about a group of high school-age kids riding their bikes recklessly around town and causing chaos, and Rick Carrillo said the police department is taking notice.

Carrillo, the administrative sergeant for the Porterville Police Department, said he likes the fact that the kids are getting outside and exercising, but noted that they do need to be more careful and considerate of others.

“On one hand, it is neat to see kids out on bicycles and being athletic and energetic and not behind TV screens, but on the flip side, the manner in which they ride in a lot of cases is very, very dangerous,” Carrillo said, adding that the police department regularly gets calls about them riding their bikes irresponsibly. “We get reports of them riding wheelies on their bikes and weaving in and out of traffic, which is unsafe and dangerous and causes traffic hazards for not just themselves, but to the motoring public.”

Carrillo said he believes the best way to decrease the amount of complaints and to prevent kids from riding their bicycles without a care is to educate them on the laws of the road.

“We work closely with our schools through our school resource officer program, and we also have our traffic unit that has been out enforcing violations,” Carrillo said.

Scott Bowler, the father of one of the kids in a bicycle group dubbed the “Porterville Fixie Goons,” believes another solution to the problem is teamwork.

“We have to work together as a community and not yell and scream and throw things at these kids,” Bowler said, referring to a couple of incidents where motorists have retaliated to the kids’ negligent riding style.

Bowler said he is in no way defending their careless attitude when they are on the road, but said residents should give them a little break.

“They are making improvements, but they are kids, they are not going to be perfect,” Bowler said, adding that they are, unlike some other kids, doing something productive. “They could be sitting at home playing video games all day, not getting out, they could be doing drugs, they could be breaking into cars, and a lot of other stuff.”

Carrillo added that kids, or anyone riding a bicycle, should follow the rules of the road at all times. Some of those rules include stopping at a stop sign, wearing a helmet, riding only on the right side of a road, using hand and arm signals, and keeping both wheels on the ground.

“We are also asking parents

to make sure that their kids are abiding by these laws,” Carrillo said, adding that many people, especially parents, often take to social media to voice their frustrations, accusing the police department of not doing enough to fix the problem. “We focus a lot of our time enforcing these laws and educating these kids, and we are asking parents to help us educate their kids to ensure that they can go out and have a good time and come home safely each day.”

Carrillo said bicyclists who don’t follow the rules will be cited and sent to court, which he said can range anywhere between $160 to $400.

“It can be very, very expensive not just with the

violation,” Carrillo said, adding, “Ultimately, the parent would be responsible for paying the fine on top of the fact that they would be required to likely miss a day of work to do so.”

Bowler said he is taking Carrillo’s advice and is working with the kids, teaching them how to have fun while also respecting the law.

“I busted a couple of them just the other day riding stupid, and so what I am trying to do is teach these kids to ride right,” Bowler said.

He added that he wants the community to know that they are good kids and are just learning the ropes to being responsible members of society.

“Just be patient because it takes time,” Bowler said.