A bill on illegal use of dirtbikes is making its way through the state senate (link below). If passed, the law will allow the city to charge $2000 for retrieval of confiscated dirt bikes (the law doesn't mention ATVs but there are other bills moving around in committee that may include ATVs I have been told). The bill also asks the state to evaluate the possibility of establishing a registry for dirt bike owners. Unfortunately, the bill as currently written will not have force of law until October 2013. Which means another summer of little recourse against the bikes. My best advice is for ClickFixers to gather as much data on the bikes (photos, addresses) and figure out how to effectively get this info to substation commanders. Would also be nice if Chief Esserman or the Mayor said something publicly about the bikes - they need make a public stand against the bikes and recognize that it is an enormous quality of life issue for the city. Enormous.

Link to the legislation: http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB190&which_year=2013

WAIT, you said they had DATES on their bikes? females??? this has to be a troll, we all know these boys dont like hanging out with girls. is this a new crew from out of town?

Thanks for the update on the legislation. Sounds like something I suppose, not what I was hoping for (making it illegal to have an unregistered dirtbike inside city limits for example) but at least something to help make it more difficult to drive illegally/dangerously/unlicensed long term.

Dates - I was just joking there, they just picked up another 15 or so atvs/bikers.

Yes & so it begins!! I'm tired of dreading summer between them & motorcycles speeding down Lexington! I saw one guy doing wheelies across traffic on Townsend in traffic & against the light (of course ~ that seems to give them more of a thrill!!).

As an aside, they have similar, though more aggressive laws in Baltimore. Not alot of success with tough confiscation laws. This may seem way out there but, eventually, cities may need drone technology (drones are being used domestically already) to deal with dirtbikes. Simply no other way to track the bikes. Again, it might seem Orwellian but really the only way to deal with a nasty urban problem.

Praying this bill doesn't die like the RLC one just did today. Ugh. These kids make living in the Heights not as pleasant as it really should be. I am tired of being terrorized. What is it going to take, a terrible accident and blood on the road?!

I'm all for the new law, but don't see how much good it can do with the current no chase policy that the New Haven police have adopted. What are they going to do, wait for these fine gentleman to come down to the police station and politely turn themselves in?

It's incredibly frustrating that these individuals have been allowed to endanger the lives of New Haven residents for so long.

What about arrests for public disturbance, nuisance, menacing etc. ? The charges will never stick but the legal fees and eventual deals will add up and maybe @#$% off some judge somewhere....a $250 dollar fine is not enough...and the problem with a large fine is they can just buy another bike instead of paying...

I encourage you all to fight hard on this issue. Call your alderman, write the mayor, call the mayor's assistant Sean Matteson at 203-946-7802. And follow up with a phone call and email again a week later, and again, and again. You have to be PERSISTENT.
I have gotten some success in my neighborhood after 5 years of fighting this issue. The city is considering installing Jersey barriers and speed bumps on a long straightaway that has become their afternoon racetrack of choice. I also got the Parks to put up a fence so thay they couldn't escape when the NHPD comes, but they have already smashed it with an ATV.
These guys are more organized than we think. They have a scanner, and they monitor the police calls. They choose places and meet there, bringing dirt bikes and ATV's in pick up trucks, with oil and gas supplies. All of this within our city.
I have documented all of this with pics and sent it to my alderman and other city officials. The more of us get involved, the sooner these outlaws will be off the streets.

The problem with more laws is they cannot be enforced ~ case in point, talking on cell phones when driving. . ..which isn't to say there should not be new laws. Added to the new laws, ought to be a provision to heavily fine the parents of kids under 18. Why do parents allow their kids to have dirt bikes in the 1st place? Aren't they concerned for their kids' safety, even if these adults have no consideration for how others are affected?

Can the police find the culprits using the many videos online showing in high-definition detail when, where, and who is breaking the law? They have served riders in the past with warrants based on photos; is it any different now?

A little history....a few years a go we had the same problem, yet it wasn't as bad as the last couple of years. NHPD had Chief Lewis who was determined to prevent this type of nuisance and unlawfulness. He encouraged his officers to do their job and go after these individuals. Then came Chief Limone who was to busy traveling back to Chicago to care. A year ago Chief Esserman took over and choses to have his Officers look the other way. Not only do we need creative ways to end this problem that has gotten out of control, we need a Chief who backs up his words of dealing with quality of life issues. If he truly cared about our community, he'd find a solution. He should be embarrassed that "his" city is know as a recreation spot for dirt bikes and ATVs.

If Esserman or Destefano had bikes and quads racing up and down their streets with no mufflers every weekend I bet something would be done. Does the new chief even live in New Haven or does he go home to RI every weekend?

If my memory serves me right the quad squad worked pretty well under Lewis.

Baltimore is probably the worst city for dirtbikes, at least as reported in the mass media. Philadelphia also plagued by the dirtbike-ATVs. Baltimore's latest legislative effort against the bikes is to put a delay on driver's license for anyone who has been cited for a dirtbike/ATV violation: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/politics/Bill-would-drive-out-illegal-dirt-bikes-from-roads/-/9379266/19176444/-/13gifec/-/index.html

Dirtbike/ATV problem in New Haven has to be on the mayoral campaign agenda as a major quality of life issue. Not sure how that happens....

I am closing dirt bike/ATV complaints that pre-date the conclusion of the police undercover operation (see www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/9_arrested_in_dirt_bike_sting/). I do not expect the dirt bike/ATV issue to be completely solved, but it will be helpful to policing efforts to distinguish new reports from those before last month's operation. The operation was not a one-off effort to address this issue, and information reported in new issues is helpful.

Please open up new SCF issues as dirt bike/ATV issues re-occur.

- Rob Smuts, Chief Administrative Officer

Thanks for fixing this issue!