With the weather warming up, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said authorities will once again crack down on the use of illegal dirt bikes on city streets.
In an interview with NEPM on Wednesday, the mayor said progress has been made in recent years, but there is still more work to do. He said those driving the dirt bikes often create dangerous situations for others on roadways.
"They challenge drivers, they challenge pedestrians, the challenge our police officers," he said. "They're videotaping this stuff, this phenomenon of social media, it's just...utterly ridiculous."
State Sen. Adam Gomez, D- Springfield, has filed legislation, which would allow for law enforcement across the state to destroy illegal dirt bikes seized in arrests. Sarno said he favors this as opposed to auctioning the vehicles off, which can lead to their return to the street.
"Believe you me, I'll be the first one to take a sledgehammer to them," the mayor said.
The bill would also make it illegal for gas stations to sell fuel to operators of the illegal vehicles. According to State Rep. Orlando Ramos, the city passed an ordinance banning such transactions in 2021.
Ramos in a statement also said he's calling on the city council to take up a home rule petition that would allow for municipal fines and allow the city's police department to confiscate and destroy illegal dirt bikes and off highway vehicles. This also would need approval from the state legislature if passed locally.
A similar effort effort stalled in 2019.
In a statement, Springfield Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers agreed with the mayor that improvements have been made combating these illegal vehicles.
“Five, six years ago, this was the number one quality of life complaint in the city,” Akers said. “The last few years the calls have dwindled as our officers have seized dozens of dirt bikes and made numerous arrests.”
Still, he said police will be using “specialized” enforcement to target dirt bikes this year, but did not go into detail about what strategies will be used.
Akers asked those who ride these vehicles to consider the consequences of doing so, beyond just a possible arrest.
“…These vehicles are just not safe on city roads as we have seen numerous crashes and fatalities involving OHV’s (off highway vehicles) in the past few years,” he said. “It’s just not worth it.”
Sarno said the city is working with other agencies such as the state police and the Hampden County Sheriffs Department, as well as surrounding communities to help combat the problem. He said drones have been helpful in tracking dirt bikes, both on streets and where they are housed.
