Racing dirt bikes on streets is not a victimless crime
Are the people who ride dirt bikes and ATVs through Allentown’s streets criminals? Or, are some just young people blowing off steam with an activity they consider to be fun and harmless?
The answer is both. That’s what makes the problem difficult to address.
By riding vehicles that are prohibited from use on public roads, they are breaking the law.
If they zip through red lights and stop signs and go against traffic on one-way streets, they are a threat to public safety.
I’ve previously lauded Allentown’s efforts to confiscate the bikes. I continue to support tough enforcement. I’d love to see more riders in handcuffs, and facing stiffer punishment.
Wednesday, Allentown officials announced they are partnering with surrounding communities to create a task force to address the problem.
I usually roll my eyes when I hear about government officials creating a “task force.”
They often result in more talk and more paperwork than results. The creation of a task force sounds tough and gets publicity, though, which gets the public off officials’ backs for a while.
But give city officials credit for recognizing that Allentown isn’t the only place where these bikers are a nuisance and a danger. Collaboration always is helpful. So I will hope this task force is fruitful.
At Wednesday’s news conference, police Chief Charles Roca invited riders to meet with police to talk through the issue.
I’d be surprised if any take him up on that offer, considering how some riders have deliberately taunted officers. A few years ago, one popped a wheelie right in front of an officer and nearly ran into a police car before crashing into a fence near Ritter Elementary School.
But, it never hurts to talk. If even a few riders would sit
down with the chief, maybe they would see it from the other side.
What they consider to be joy riding or a way to express themselves is dangerous. Even if no one gets hurt, there are victims.
They include pedestrians and motorists who must take action to stay out of the way. And everyone in their path who has to
endure the noise.
“When I hear the term that there are no victims in this, there are victims,” Roca said. “It’s the people and the residents that work hard each day.
“Or go to one of the many restaurants in Lehigh County or Northampton County wanting to just kind of have a good time with
their family, meanwhile, you have a pack of dirt bike riders come through.”
Roca would like riders to know that authorities are trying to look out for them, too, as they can be hurt if they crash.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that all riders are young and too immature to recognize the problem they are creating. Police said they have arrested people well into their 20s recently. Roca told me Wednesday that some riders are in their 50s.
They certainly should know better.
If you haven’t experienced what Mayor Matt Tuerk described Wednesday as a “dirt bike rodeo,” ABC 6 in Philadelphia has video of a recent large ride. Bikes went on sidewalks, through red lights and even up the steps of Philly’s fabled art museum.
Some people want police to be more aggressive. They’d prefer to see officers chasing bikes all over town, maybe even knocking them to the ground. Tuerk is right; that’s not the proper response because it’s dangerous.
“We’re not going to endanger the lives of our residents,” Tuerk said.
He and Roca said officers can be more effective by working with the community to get information about where the bikes are stored and when riders gather to use them. I hope the public is angry enough about the threat and the annoyance that these bikers pose to call police if they know something.
All of that said, I think it would be wrong to label every rider as someone who intends to cause trouble or endanger the community.
Teenagers and young adults don’t always consider how their actions affect others, especially if there are no obvious impacts such as someone getting injured.
Though they are breaking traffic laws, that doesn’t mean they all have a criminal mindset.
It’s not much different than people who drive cars at high speeds and weave in and out of traffic without turn signals. They put people at risk, too. They are breaking laws. But are they hardened criminals?
No. But that doesn’t mean their actions deserve to go unpunished. The same goes for dirt bike riders.