WATERBURY, Conn. — The illegal use of ATV and dirtbikes in neighborhoods is frustrating for many residents, but Waterbury Police explain the not so easy process behind catching riders in the act.
Michael Mann said he’s been dealing with illegal dirtbikes and ATV riders for quite some time in his Waterbury neighborhood.
“They go about 50-60 miles an hour so they’re doing that all the way up and down the street, they’re kids playing in the street, there's people walking dogs,” Mann said.
Waterbury police explain when they receive complaints about ATV's oftentimes when they arrive riders are long gone and if they’re not it’s even more unsafe to chase them.
“We have to be accountable for the safety of the riders, whether they’re a juvenile or an adult, many times they’re not going to stop for us, so we’re not going to get in a pursuit with these riders and they get killed,” Lt. David Silverio said.
Instead of a pursuit, Waterbury, like many other police departments, has a dedicated tip line for ATV related complaints and a dedicated traffic unit that filters through the tips looking for patterns.
“They document where occurring so they can strategize when they’re going to do an ATV operation, it's labor intensive because you’re trying to get the resources out there to be able to approach the riders when they’re stopped and get off their ATVs so you can safely take enforcement,” Silverio said.
Police urge anyone who would like to submit a complaint regarding ATVs or dirt bikes to email atvtips@waterbury.org or call their tip line at 203-573-6662.