Philadelphia police train more officers to confiscate illegal ATVs, prevent car meetups
Officers will not chase illegal ATVs they see in the city, but they will try to safely contain them to confiscate the bikes.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are working to train more officers to handle illegal ATV activity and car meetups that continue to pose safety issues in the city, especially during the summer.
Action News was inside the department's Highway Patrol Headquarters on Friday as officers geared up before starting their shift.
They spent the night on motorcycles patrolling streets throughout the City of Philadelphia.
"They are going to spend some time in the areas where we have a lot of ATV activity, and then they are going to go out to certain areas where they have the most crime," said Deputy Commissioner James Kelly.
Department officials say tackling ATV activity has been and continues to be a priority.
Earlier this year, the department implemented a mobile surge team that runs details on the weekends.
Part of the work they do focuses on breaking up car meetups and rounding up groups of illegal ATVs and dirt bikes.
Kelly said officers will not chase the illegal ATVs they see in the city, but they will try to safely contain them to confiscate the bikes.
Deputy Commissioner Michael Cram said about 180 ATVs have been confiscated so far this year.
"Which is about all of what we did last year. So we're getting there," he said. "We're changing our tactics a little bit. We're training more officers to ride dirt bikes, and we're purchasing more dirt bikes so we can throw more out there."
"They are just unsafe, as you've seen over the last few days," Cram added.
On Thursday, a 35-year-old ATV rider was killed after a crash at Westmoreland and Broad streets in North Philadelphia.
Police said he was speeding down Broad Street, with other ATV quads, when he crashed into a car that was making a legal turn.
Kelly said highway patrol is working to ensure safety on Philadelphia's roads and to gather as many ATVs as possible.
"We're trying to get more officers trained and put more dirt bikes out there because it's a touchy situation," he said. "We have to worry about the safety of the public, the safety of our officers. We have policies we have to follow."
Cram had a message for any driver who finds themself surrounded by ATVs.
"Do not get out of your car. Call 911. Let them know where you're at. Don't try to confront them," he said.
The police department is also trying to tackle the issue of illegal car meetups, which they say happen almost every night and are typically organized on social media.
Cram said when police arrive at the meetups, the cars typically disperse.
Despite this, he said they aren't just looking to disperse the meetups. If possible, police want to confiscate the cars involved and hold the people involved accountable.
"It's just a matter of us getting there, dispersing them, and mitigating some of the damage they do," Cram explained.
