Photo: Courtesy of the Mayor’s Office
Sept. 17, 2021 By Christian Murray
Mayor Bill de Blasio sent out a strong message Thursday to the owners of illegal dirt bikes and off-road vehicles who are tempted to operate one of them in New York City: “Don’t even think about it,” he said. “Because the NYPD will find it and will crush it.”
De Blasio and high-ranking members of the NYPD held a press conference at a Department of Sanitation site on Staten Island yesterday, where they demolished more than 40 unregistered dirt bikes and off-road vehicles.
“These dirt bikes are dangerous,” he said. “They can endanger the lives of the people around them — anyone in the neighborhood,” de Blasio said. “We need to make clear that we’re just not going to tolerate this kind of illegality, and here’s a very visual way to get our point across.”
We have a message for anyone driving an illegal dirt bike in New York City:
We’re gonna crush it. pic.twitter.com/kkdRY557J8
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) September 17, 2021
Authorities say that there has been a significant increase in the number of illegal dirt bikes in use this year, which has led to deaths and injuries. For instance, in New York City during the first three months of 2021, eight people reportedly were killed in dirt bike or off-road vehicle incidents.
Officials estimate that as many as 3,000 bikes will be removed from New York City streets this year, compared to about 500 last year.
The bikes are not just causing problems in terms of road safety, noise and pollution but they have also been used in several shootings and crimes, officials said.
The bikes have several characteristics that make them illegal and therefore unlawful to ride.
Any bike that lacks side mirrors, brake lights and/or turn signals is unable to be registered with New York state—and is therefore illegal to ride.
Residents are urged to submit tips about where illegal bikes are being stored, either by phone— 1-800-577-8477 (TIPS), or 1-888-577-4782 (PISTA) for Spanish— on the Crime Stoppers website, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Police say all calls are kept confidential.
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16 Comments
Why don’t they put them through a shredder machine instead. I hope there recycled in a environmentally friendly way.
TIP577 for reporting dirt bikes does not work. Any correct information?
They aren’t illegal. They aren’t illegal to ride. It is illegal to ride them in the road.
That’s just a disgusting waste. Why not sell them to people in other states where they aren’t illegal. Destroying them is just plain idiotic.
I love it. I could watch them smash those things all day.
The guys who get to drive bulldozers over dirtbikes. Best city job ever.
Hopefully they will begin to confiscate all the helicopters flying over nyc illegally. They wake me up every morning.
Don’t want to sound like an old man, but: “Good. I hate these bikes with ever fiber of my being.”
Finally! Thank Goodness! but why crush them when you can sell them down south where it’s legal to use them?
guess he wanted one actual good thing he’s done before hes out the door.
Western Queens voters are ok with this because they complain a lot about the noise made by dirt bikes and off-road vehicles scaring their pets.
Confiscate the legal ones too and crush them.
I totally support destroying these bikes and recycling them for riding in the streets. However destroying legal ones I ride dirtbikes I have a 19 KX 250 MX bike why do you think legal ones need to be destroyed. I stick to legal trails and tracks aswell as offset my carbon emissions and donate too climate change organizations
This is all fine until someone investigates who the nypd confiscated the dirt bikes and off road vehicles from. They will be accused of targeting black and brown owned property.
Long over due. These group rides are nothing less then acts of intimidation.
Love it. Best use of a bulldozer I’ve seen.