NEW HAVEN, Conn. — If you plan on riding dirt bikes or ATV's in the streets of New Haven, which is illegal, city officials have some advice: get ready to pay a hefty fine.
If the New Haven Board of Alders legislative Committee has their way, fines for those caught riding in the streets would be increased from $99 up to as high as $1,000 for first time my fenders.
"We have been working very hard to address this issue," Mayor Justin Elicker said. "It’s an elusive problem."
That specifically was in reference to the city’s no chase policy.
"We don’t pursue actively dirt bikes and ATVs because we don’t want to put other community members at risk," Elicker said.
The police chief calls it a real quality of life and safety issue.
"It used to be relegated to certain parts of the city," said New Haven Police Chief Tony Reyes. "We’re seeing it everywhere. We are seeing it at all times. And these individuals are becoming more brazen."
This measure also prohibits gas stations from selling fuel to these offenders. And, if they’re caught, these businesses would be fined $100.
"Arresting these folks is just congesting our courts, especially during the Covid season, where our courts have already been sort of backed up," Reyes said.
Under the proposed ordinance, police would be able to issue fines of up to $1,000 for a first offense, up to $1,500 for a second violation and up to $2,000 for further incidents.
"This is something that’s been done already in New London," Reyes noted. "It’s being done already in Hartford."
And the officials emphasized it’s not city residents that are the primary offenders.
"Most of these individuals are coming from out of town, from as far away as New York, as far away as Boston," Reyes said.
There have been accidents involving this illegal riding, including this one last year near the New Haven Green, in which both the driver of the car and the motorcyclist were hospitalized.
This measure will be for the whole board full Board of Alders for a "first read." Then, a couple of weeks later, they will vote on the legislation.