A bill on illegal use of dirtbikes is making its way through the state senate (link below). If passed, the law will allow the city to charge $2000 for retrieval of confiscated dirt bikes (the law doesn't mention ATVs but there are other bills moving around in committee that may include ATVs I have been told). The bill also asks the state to evaluate the possibility of establishing a registry for dirt bike owners. Unfortunately, the bill as currently written will not have force of law until October 2013. Which means another summer of little recourse against the bikes. My best advice is for ClickFixers to gather as much data on the bikes (photos, addresses) and figure out how to effectively get this info to substation commanders. Would also be nice if Chief Esserman or the Mayor said something publicly about the bikes - they need make a public stand against the bikes and recognize that it is an enormous quality of life issue for the city. Enormous.

Link to the legislation: http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB190&which_year=2013
.

I will be closing dirt bike/ATV complaints that pre-date the conclusion of the police undercover operation (see www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/9_arrested_in_dirt_bike_sting/). I do not expect the dirt bike/ATV issue to be completely solved, but it will be helpful to policing efforts to distinguish new reports from those before this recent operation.

Please open up new SCF issues as dirt bike/ATV issues re-occur.

- Rob Smuts, Chief Administrative Officer