Police seek public's help with dirt bike crisis in Pleasantville

PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. (WPVI) -- Four masked riders on dirt bikes and a quad were caught on surveillance video repeatedly taunting two Pleasantville police officers Thursday during a traffic stop on Woodland Avenue, coming within inches of hitting them.

"They would rev up their bikes, they would come straight at the officers, but lock up the brakes so much so they would skid the back rear tire in the direction of the officers," said Capt. Danny Adcock of the Pleasantville Police Department.

The incident prompted Police Chief Sean Riggin to write a post on the department's Facebook page calling on the community to stop enabling illegal riders who are terrorizing the community.

"Tell us when and where that they're seeing these, and there are people that know who are riding these bikes," said Riggin.

Two riders have been killed in dirt bike accidents, and police have gotten more than 500 complaint calls during the last three years.

"I get stopped in the middle of the street," said Pleasantville Mayor Jesse Tweedle. "People come to my house, and the first thing they ask me, what am I going to do about the dirt bikes?"

"They zoom down the street and they don't worry about nobody getting hit or nothing," said Kadeem Revis.

"They don't stop. They just zoom right past, and it's up to you to get out of their way," said Loukeisha Hargrove.

Authorities believe illegal dirt bike and quad riders are emboldened by the knowledge police won't chase them. Capt. Adcock said state guidelines prohibit a pursuit if there's a danger to the community.

"We are talking about human life. We are talking about a danger to the community, danger to the rider themselves and the officer," said Adcock.

Police are asking for the public's help to stop the riders before someone else is killed.