Philadelphia police crack down on meetups, illegal dirt bikes and ATVs

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- With summer around the corner, Philadelphia police are touting their efforts to stop what's become a destructive trend in the city.

Officials say they've seized 50 cars and arrested 20 people in recent months, as they work to stop car meet-ups and enforce regulations on ATVs and dirt bikes.

Investigators say social media has fueled the pop-up gatherings, and they've worked to infiltrate the networks behind them.

Police created the Car Meet Investigative Group to prevent the illegal activity. It comes after "Project X" in September 2024, when car meets occurred at eight locations in the city, and officers were assaulted and vehicles were damaged. Police arrested 13 people and seized 31 vehicles.

Now, detectives are using a detailed data-driven approach, which includes search warrants and other tools to uncover promoters, vehicles used, participants, as well as working with other police departments as far away as Georgia and Alabama.

"When you see somebody being stopped in Georgia over something that happened here, that sends a strong message that if you want to come into the city and engage in this behavior, this is what we're going to do. But what you're not going to do is go after my men and women as they did in September," said Bethel.

Tracking down off-road vehicles on Philadelphia streets is a typical Friday night for Officer Tina Willis.

Willis, along with about 40 other officers, on bikes and in SUVs, patrol to confiscate illegal vehicles and enforce traffic laws.

"This has been an ongoing problem within the city. These vehicles are illegal to be on the street, they're not registered, they're not insured, no safety inspections," said Philadelphia Police Lt.Trevor Peszko, who leads the team.

Action News was there as police towed a dual-sport motorcycle on West Duncannon Avenue in Olney. Officers say the motorist was not wearing his goggles and did not have a permit.

Peszko says not only are dirt bikes, ATVs, and side-by-sides not allowed on city streets, but they're a quality-of-life issue.

"It could be your noise, it could be loud, but they also drive very recklessly. When they drive in packs, it's very intimidating to other motorists," he said.

Police say in 2024, officers confiscated more than 1200 off-road vehicles and issued over $2 million in fines.

So far in 2025, more than 600 vehicles have been taken off the streets

"They have been relentless in the work they've done. They actually have been almost a national model of other departments across the nation," said Commissioner Bethel.

Peszko credits their structured strategy, new technology and equipment, and intelligence-driven deployments.

"If the police do come and attempt to pull you over, just pull over. If you run from us, you're going to be arrested, and it's going to be a lot more serious than if you just pull over," he said.