Baltimore Police Dirt Bike Task Force Active For Summer Season

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Baltimore City police officials announced that their Dirt Bike Task Force will once again be on the streets this summer.

Spokesman T.J. Smith told members of the media that individuals in the city don't know rules concerning dirt bikes.

He said storing dirt bikes inside homes is a fire code violation in Baltimore City.

"Bottom line--it's illegal to ride dirt bikes on city streets. It's illegal to possess these dirt bikes inside dwellings inside the city," Smith said. "They believe that this is legal in the city--it's not."

The department wants to take a proactive approach to the dirt bikes in Baltimore because they say people are killed or injured due to illegal riding in city streets.

"Each year--undoubtedly--someone who's either riding a dirt bike or gets struck, dies or suffer serious physical harm," Smith added.

The head of the task force, Sgt. Christopher Warren, says since the force started in 2016 that they have confiscated more than 400 dirt bikes and ATVs, with 90 percent of suspects being convicted.

"In my 20 years in Baltimore City, I've seen numerous dirt bike accidents," Sgt. Warren said. "We've had a pregnant woman waiting on the bus on Wabash Avenue--I think it was three years ago-- that was struck by a dirt bike and killed. We never found that rider."

Sgt. Warren said that cars following dirt bikes will be stopped and ticketed and possibly towed.

City police say that they work with surrounding counties, where the majority of dirt bikes are stolen from.

Smith added that some people come from outside the city to watch or perform in dirt bike events.

"We want people who are tipsters to understand that their tips do work," Smith said.

If you have any info on illegal and or stolen dirt bikes in the city, you're urged to call police at 443-902-4474 or email police at dirtbiketips@baltimorepolice.org

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