200 dirt bike riders displayed "dangerous riding behavior" in Baltimore, police say
Baltimore police responded to more than 200 dirt bikers "displaying dangerous riding behavior" on Sunday evening, according to city police.
Officers were called around 7:20 p.m. to the 3100 block of Reisterstown Road for reports of dirt bike activity.
Police said the dirt bikers surrounded the officers. More officers responded to the area.
The dirt bike riders left the area. No injuries were reported.
Illegal dirt bike crackdown in Baltimore
Baltimore police have been working to crack down on illegal dirt bike riding.
In May, an officer was injured after being struck by a dirt bike in the area of Maryland Avenue and Falls Road. Police were conducting crowd control as a club was letting out.
Police arrested Mautice Greene, 30, in connection with the incident. He was charged with attempting to elude police. Police said that during a brief struggle, Greene bit an officer in the forearm.
Another officer called to assist was allegedly struck by another dirt biker.
Police said in May that a 37-year-old man riding a dirt bike was killed in a collision with an SUV. The SUV driver was not charged, according to police.
Police Commissioner Richard Worley said during a city budget hearing last month that his department is committed to getting every illegal dirt bike off the street.
"Driving dirt bikes in that manner is extremely dangerous," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said last month. "Dirt bike culture is here, and it's not going anywhere. This is why we say that you can't be doing these things."
Within the past few months, three off-road vehicles were seized by police in Baltimore's Cameron Village. During another investigation, investigators seized 11 dirt bikes during an enforcement event.
Stopping dirt bike riders at the gas pumps
In another crackdown effort, police say gas station owners could face up to $1,000 in fines or even 90 days in jail if they allow dirt bike riders to fill up at their pumps.
Earlier this month, a gas station near W. Cold Spring Lane told CBS News Baltimore that they were told to turn off their fuel lines if they hear or see dirt bikes coming down their street. This means lost business because it takes a few minutes for the pumps to turn back on.
"When dirt bikes come through our road, like we just shut all the pumps," a gas station manager said. "It impacts our business a lot. When there are three or four customers at our station, if we shut down the pumps, they will be in trouble, and they come here and say, 'Give me a refund,' or something like that."
Baltimore residents with information about dirt bikes, where they are stored, and who is supplying them fuel can contact police through the Dirt Bike Tipline at 443-902-4474 or by emailing DirtBikeTips@baltimorepolice.org.
