HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -- The weather is warming up, and that means more people are illegally riding dirt bikes and ATVs in the city of Harrisburg.
How could police be more effective at catching them this summer? This has been an ongoing issue for years because there is nowhere in the city where you can ride ATVs or dirt bikes. This spring, police are cracking down.
Video shot this week on Front Street in Harrisburg shows dirt bikes dangerously weaving in and out of traffic and doing wheelies.
"What is happening here is illegal, and it's incredibly dangerous, not just for other drivers and pedestrians in the area but for the people who are actually riding these ATVs and dirt bikes," said Matt Maisel, City of Harrisburg communications director
Maisel says for everyone's safety, police won't get into any high-speed chases, but there is other technology to help find the people riding the bikes and ATVs.
"There are traffic cameras all throughout the city, and what we're doing is we're watching for you. We're getting facial recognition, and we're making sure that what you're doing is going to stop," Maisel said. He says police will arrest and charge anyone caught driving illegally on city roads.
"You come across an intersection, if you're not following the rules of the road, you're going to get hit and you're going to go head over heels. You can be hurt if not tragically worse," Maisel warned.
Maisel wants to reinforce that you're not just putting yourself in danger if you're riding an ATV or dirt bike illegally, and he's asking for the community's help.
"If you see this activity taking place in your neighborhood, if you know who's taking part in this, please contact the city. We have anonymous tip lines where you don't have to be identified. Just help us get the streets safer for everyone," Maisel said.
Maisel also says it's a priority to find not only the people riding those vehicles but also the ATVs and dirt bikes themselves to get to the root of the issue.
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