San Francisco police officers and Mayor Daniel Lurie are cracking down on illegal dirt bikes and stunt riding. Officers seized six dirt bikes and an ATV Sunday and arrested four riders.
Police say stunt riding endangers drivers and pedestrians and causes a nuisance.
“Anyone who engages in this illegal activity in San Francisco will be held accountable,” interim SFPD Chief Paul Yep said in a statement. “Thanks to the hard-working members of the SFPD and the assistance of new technology, we can crack down on this behavior like never before.”
Many internet commenters were elated.
“ABOUT FUCKING TIME!!!” one wrote on Reddit. “Thank you, SFPD,” wrote an Instagram user on the department’s post.
“They ride without licenses,” Lurie said at a press conference Monday. “They ignore the laws and terrorize our communities.”
But the city’s bike life community was not impressed. Local stunt riders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they don’t expect the city’s show of force to scare seasoned bikers.
“It all depends on who the rider is and how experienced they are,” one said. “But me, hell no. Fuck them and they drones.”
The SFPD posted drone footage of dirt bike crews along with its crackdown announcement.
“The people who don’t come from poverty don’t understand, and the people that do come from our parts of the city do,” said one biker, referring to San Francisco’s southeastern neighborhoods, which include the Bayview. “It will always be that way.”
A third rider said he has no problem with the police seizing stolen bikes and understands why city leaders are cracking down.
“They listened to what a lot of people wanted. It’s the new mayor showing action and proving himself,” he said. “I just personally think there are more important things to focus our limited SFPD resources on.”
He emphasized that not all stunt riders are on stolen bikes and said serious riders would keep going despite the crackdown.
“Everyone knows it’s already against the law to stunt ride, so it’s a risk you’re willing to take,” he said.
Some said dirt bike culture helps keep kids out of more serious trouble.
“All they doing is creating more shootings and robberies,” one rider said of the crackdown. “Mark my words: I bet crimes in SF go up in the next month or two.”