WJZ) BALTIMORE Mayor Sheila Dixon wants Baltimore police to take a proactive approach to getting dirt bikes off the streets of her city.
As Dennis Edwards reports, the issue of dirt bikes running on city streets is a controversial topic that has surfaced in Baltimore for years.
Along with the blossoming greenery, a perpetual sign of spring is the sight of dirt bike riders hitting Charm City's streets.
Owning a dirt bike in Baltimore City is not illegal but riding one is. It is also a very serious safety hazard according to police, when riders do wheelies, dart through traffic and speed down sidewalks.
But as police officials tell Eyewitness News there is only so much officers can do to get the dangerous bikes off the streets without sacrificing public safety.
Dixon has called for the confiscation of the bikes that many believe are used in drug activity and can lead to other criminal activity.
"Hopefully, as a result of police officers getting out of their cars walking in neighborhoods as well as residents reporting where these dirt bikes are being stored and housed, we can confiscate them," said Dixon.
Despite Dixon's calls to get the bikes off the streets, there is little support for the creation of dirt bike trails due to issues of liability.
According to officers, one of the reasons many dirt bikers are not apprehended by police is because chases put the officers, bikers and bystanders in dangerous positions.
"If it's an instance where we see someone sitting on a dirt bike and they're stopped, we will approach," said Baltimore Police Det. Donny Moses. "However, once it becomes a point of they're noticing our presence and then taking off running, we will not pursue."
The tactic Moses described is what police call the "Push Theory." The faster dirt bike riders are chased, the faster they run.
Since many riders don't wear helmets or obey the traffic laws, police say chasing riders creates an unnecessary risk of disaster.
For now, the dirt bike problem continues and parents of young children say they are very concerned.
"We're afraid if one of the children walks in the street," said resident Sandra Rey, "they're going to get hurt by one of those dirt bikes. It's just a problem around here."
Despite a shortage of support, an official proposal for a dirt bike park to be built in Baltimore is currently being considered.
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