BPD says more than 60 dirt bikes, ATV seized so far this year

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Baltimore Police say the Department has seized 45 dirt bikes and 16 ATV’s across the city so far this year.

This past weekend illegal dirt bike enforcement resulted in the seizure of 10 dirt bikes and vehicles, according to BPD.

Video obtained by our partners at the Baltimore Sun captured what BPD described as hundreds of riders near the intersection of Reisterstown Road and Druid Park Drive in north Baltimore.

Officers dispersed the crowd and seized some of the 10 dirt bikes from the location.

In South Baltimore, the Department also issued civil citations to two gas stations for fueling participants involved in the illegal dirt bike activity, including at 101 West Patapsco Avenue and 3601 Potee Street.

Earlier this month BPD announced 11 dirt bikes and ATV’s seized during an enforcement operation, including in and around Herring Run Park.

Just last month dispatch audio captured a Baltimore Police Officer yelling for back-up after an encounter with a man on a dirt bike in the Baltimore Peninsula. A 33-year-old man was arrested and charged in that case.

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“I’ve had many, many, many conversations with the commissioner, and with the exec team,” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, when asked about dirt bikes and the enforcement of them.

Back in 2022, the City established an ordinance that carried a fine and jail time for illegal dirt bike riding or street racing.

In 2023, Bates expressed concern that not enough citations were being written since he launched his Citation Docket Initiative, designed to hold adults accountable for low-level, quality-of-life offenses without resorting to immediate arrest. Illegal dirt bike riding is among offenses on this list.

“They’re writing more citations,” answered Bates, when asked if he still feels that way about citations related to dirt bikes.

FOX45 News asked BPD of the dirt bikes and ATV’s seized how many, if any, had been reported stolen.

The Department said they’re still looking into that information.