ATV Riders Warned

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by Melissa Bailey | May 20, 2010 4:11 pm

(13) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Legal Writes, Transportation

Melissa Bailey Photo Lt. Jeff Hoffman already caught one illegal ATV rider this season, and police are on the hunt for more.

Standing beside the Yamaha four-wheeler that banged into his cruiser during a pursuit May 4, Hoffman (at left in photo) joined other top cops Thursday in announcing a spring crackdown on drivers of illegal vehicles.

The crackdown will target dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles and unregistered cars, all of which are not permitted on city streets, said Police Chief Limon in a press conference at the Blatchley Avenue substation Thursday afternoon.

Two teams of patrol cops, with one supervisor and two to three officers each, will be dispatched across the city to address traffic complaints that have flared up along with the recent warm weather, police officials said. They’ll target drivers of illegal vehicles, as well as registered cars that have their music cranked up too loud, police said.

Hoffman said in the East Shore he’s been getting a lot of complaints about kids riding around, pulling “donuts” and making noise on ATVs. Earlier this month, he spotted a group of five males on quads and dirt bikes who darted in and out of the road and did donuts in the middle of the street near Middletown Avenue. He caught a young man in his 20s, a quad driver whose chain had broken, and charged him with disorderly conduct, engaging in pursuit, reckless driving, operating without insurance or registration, and criminal mischief.

After the driver ditched his Yamaha four-wheeler and ran away on foot, the ATV rolled back and dented Hoffman’s cruiser.

People caught driving ATVs or dirt bikes will have their vehicles hauled away on the spot by a private towing company, Hoffman said. If the drivers want to retrieve them, they have to show proof of ownership.

Drivers may also be ticketed $250 for blasting stereos above allowable decibel levels, police warned.

Limon would not say when or where the crackdown will take place. He said it hinges on participation from neighbors. People who have tips about continuing behavior at certain locations can call Capt. Leo Bombalicki during business hours Monday to Friday at (203) 946-6306. On nights and weekends, people can report traffic scofflaws to the police main information line at (203) 946-6316.

(Police are no longer recommending that neighbors call the traffic hotline that was promoted last year, which ended in 6956. That phone line got flooded with calls, which piled up on an answering machine.)

Comments

posted by: Edward Francis on May 20, 2010 4:24pm

The city is not the place for ATV’s…Any parent that allows their youngster to ride one any where in New Haven is just waiting for a tragedy to happen. Lt. Hoffman and the NHPD will be getting many complaints from irate residents. The music is already cranked up too loud in cars…

posted by: anon on May 20, 2010 6:33pm

Awesome work!

Now if only you could go after the ear-shattering, speeding motorcycles that make parts of Downtown, Upper State Street and other neighborhoods completely unlivable places that nobody in their right mind would invest, walk or hang out in.

posted by: Nice on May 20, 2010 7:28pm

Good news for the residents of New Haven who have to run across the street away from these out of control ATV’s. ...

posted by: Greg on May 20, 2010 8:34pm

Excellent, this is great.

posted by: Hood Rebel on May 20, 2010 9:46pm

This is good news. Quality of life and safety matters.
g-

posted by: anon on May 20, 2010 10:46pm

Capt. Leo Bombalicki is serious about dealing with the problem of ATV’s riding illegally on the streets or in the parks. We can count on him to help. Don’t be afraid to call him when you see ATV or dirt bike riders destroying the peace in your neighborhood.

posted by: Pedro Soto on May 21, 2010 8:34am

Umm, anon…all those motorcycles are there on upper state street and downtown BECAUSE people have invested in the bars, restaurants and other establishments on the streets.
I don’t think that motorcyclists were hanging out in abandoned sections of town before, and are simply moving to depopulate another area.

I agree, it’s definitely a problem, but let’s not overstate it. It’s also shortsighted to think that this is a New Haven only issue. Unlike the ATVs these actually are street-legal vehicles.

You should watch the south park episode about motorcyclists. It’s a pretty spot-on portrayal of their ridiculousness in driving around in these noisy machines.

However, there actually IS a noise level cap on motorcycles in CT manufactured after 1979 of 85 decibles above 35mph, which is quieter than the maximum noise a truck or city bus is allowed to make. While people routinely modify their vehicles, and it’s hard to carry a sound meter around. It might be worth trying to enforce that part of the law, if people are found to have been illegally modifying their motorcycles to be even louder.
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2003/olrdata/tra/rpt/2003-r-0676.htm

Getting back to the article, it is fantastic news that Chief Limon is continuing this crackdown.

posted by: john on May 21, 2010 9:19am

“Drivers may also be ticketed $250 for blasting stereos above allowable decibel levels, police warned.”

About time! I suddenly find myself with optimism for Limon’s tenure as Chief.

posted by: anon on May 21, 2010 9:42am

“Drivers may also be ticketed $250 for blasting stereos above allowable decibel levels, police warned.”

“About time! I suddenly find myself with optimism for Limon’s tenure as Chief.”

I agree with John. If Chief Limon will ticket drivers for blasting stereos above allowable decibel levels and crackdown on loud motorcycles,illegal dirt bikes and ATVs, we will begin to think that we live in a civilized city.
Way to go, Chief Limon and Capt. Leo Bombalick!

posted by: anon on May 21, 2010 10:19am

I’m glad to see Capt. Joann Peterson join the ATV, dirt bike, too loud motorcycle, illegal noise crackdown team. She will be terrific.

posted by: wow on May 21, 2010 5:21pm

is that a guy or a girl looking at the atv?

posted by: Criscuolo Park/James Street on May 23, 2010 4:42pm

Come to Criscuolo Park on James Street, east of River Street!

I work at Phoenix Press (home of New Haven’s wind turbine) and it’s awful trying to leave the park after work!! Loud stereos beg me to leave precisely at 5pm when I’d rather leave at 7pm, littering, PUBLIC DRINKING, ILLEGAL DRUG USE, GAMBLING at the end of the street, and lewd behavior is COMMONPLACE.

Police need to spend time here ticketing those with loud stereos, especially since there are young children on recess at Cold Spring School in the park, as well as children playing after school. Explicit lyrics, horrible bass, and rattling quarter panels on crappy mini-vans with “rims” further degrade the otherwise beautiful surroundings.

Police presence is necessary at Criscuolo Park on James Street! Thanks for the update on the Traffic Safety Hotline. The DMV doesn’t allow folks to register their mopeds. If I wanted to have an electric moped (and I live in a suburb of New Haven), I wouldn’t be able to ride it to work?

posted by: Markus on June 4, 2010 1:47am

Some illegal vehicles creating traffic problems on city roads. I guess these ATV rider and dirt bikes are raising hell and creating complications for cops and disturbing the common public. Crack down is the best way and they should be relieved from driving license and tell them to prove the ownership of the bike.

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