Boston police, public bracing for return of dirt bikes, ATVs

To critics, the dirt bikes and ATVs that buzz around Boston’s city streets are a dangerous nuisance. Others, including the mayor, call them a much-needed outlet for the city’s young people. But to Richard Bell of Brookline, they were nearly fatal.

“I can’t think of anybody, thinking that a fist coming at you may be the last thing you see,” he told NewsCenter 5 in February. “I still don’t know how I survived. ” Bell was attacked after a group of dirt bike and ATV riders surrounded his car last November.

“Came back with a pipe in his hand. Smashed my windshield. Smashed my hood.

And then started beating me,” he said. The warmer weather is marking a return of dirt bikes and ATVs to the streets of Boston, and with it the debate over how to deal with them. “They’re out there kind of just to wreak havoc throughout the city,” said Boston Police Deputy Superintendent Lanita Cullinane.

Cullinane said many of the vehicles are stolen and not registered. At one self-storage facility in Roslindale, police in February seized around 50 stolen dirt bikes and ATVs, one in a string of confiscations over the last several years. Cullinane said the department’s strategic approach includes writing civil motor vehicle citations and criminal court complaints for motor vehicle violations.

Boston police have adjusted traffic patterns to try and divert riders away from certain areas where they congregate. They’re also working on a new city ordinance that would give them additional tools, but did not reveal any details. 5 Investigates obtained hundreds of pages of Boston police reports about dirt bikes and ATVs that paint an ugly picture of the problem.

Police describe the city being “plagued by offenders riding off highway vehicles,” often forming smaller “packs” or larger groups of more than 60 riders “known as a ‘ride out,'” one report said. People “have felt terrorized and made to feel unsafe,” one of the reports said. The off-road vehicles are involved in “uninsured motor vehicle accidents, hit & run incidents, as well as collisions with pedestrians.

” And that the vehicles have been used in “armed robberies, carjacking, shootings, and homicides,” according to another report. Cullinane said the riders try to “engage the police in pursuits,” but police won’t pursue them because it is too risky. “We’re just trying to do what we can within the confines of the law to deal with the situation, but not increase the safety risks in terms of pursuit and things of that nature,” she said.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said it’s not fair to assume everyone riding dirt bikes and ATVs is involved in illegal activity. “We want to make sure that this summer is one that is safe and exciting and joyful for everyone,” she said. “It seems like it’s a safety concern?” 5 Investigates’ Mike Beaudet asked her.

“I want to separate out what is safety and actions that should never happen in any situation, like any sort of violence that is being perpetuated, versus the general idea of some of our young people enjoying having the chance to ride and to learn a new skill and be part of a community,” Wu replied. Some park-goers we talked to on a recent morning had a more nuanced approach. “I think it’s a problem,” said Inez Francis as she walked through Almont Park in Mattapan.

“Sometimes I’m walking right here and they’re just passing by, just going back and forth on the grass, on the lawn. ” She saw it as a balancing act. “I’m not saying get rid of them altogether, but just be cautious,” she said.

Another park-goer, Jeffrey Venter, said he wanted to make sure nobody — neither the riders nor the public — get hurt. “They need outlets, especially during these times. But, you know, we just want to keep them safe,” he said.

“I don’t disagree with the (ATVs and dirt bikes), but I just think there should be some protocols for them to be able to use so they don’t get hurt. “.