Sykesville police highlight enforcement of unregistered dirt bikes, theft investigations and declining calls at Birch Manor

Sykesville’s police chief reported to the Mayor and Town Council on Monday that the department handled 983 events between July 6 and Aug. 3, and highlighted several enforcement and investigative developments including stepped‑up patrols for unregistered dirt bikes, progress on vehicle thefts tied to a rental car, and a year‑to‑date decline in reports from Birch Manor.

The chief said officers conducted community policing (19 events), 92 foot patrols and 86 traffic enforcement initiatives during the period. The department recorded about 24 incident reports and flagged a handful for follow‑up. On firearms, the chief summarized an incident (case 00103) in which a resident had turned firearms over to Carroll County authorities and later reported one missing; the department entered the missing firearm into a national database and took a report.

Noise and unregistered vehicles: council members and the chief discussed recurring noise complaints in the Schoolhouse townhouse area tied to mini/dirt bikes. The chief said the vehicles seen in town are often designed for off‑road use, lack lights and mirrors, and can exceed speeds of typical electric bicycles. He directed officers to increase patrol checks and said the department stopped three operators in recent enforcement, including an 11‑year‑old in one instance. The chief described the department’s constraint against vehicle pursuits and said officers are using follow‑up and stationary contact to address violators when safe.

Recovered stolen dirt bike and theft investigations: the chief said one gas‑powered dirt bike stopped by officers was later identified as a vehicle reported stolen from outside the town; information was passed to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, which executed a search warrant and recovered the bike. Separately, Sergeant Lacey has been working to identify suspects in a series of thefts from vehicles at Cooper Park; investigators traced a rental vehicle and recovered latent prints and video evidence that officials say make it likely those cases will be solved.

Birch Manor and emergency calls: the chief and council reviewed calls data for Birch Manor (a local assisted‑living facility). From Jan. 1 through mid‑July the fire/EMS provider recorded 117 calls to Birch Manor (112 EMS and 5 fire alarms). The chief said Sykesville police reports tied to Birch Manor have declined over several years — from a high of 39 reports in 2019 to 7 in 2024 and 6 so far in 2025 (year to date) — and council asked staff to follow up with facility leadership on the trend.

Awards and community outreach: the chief announced that Lieutenant Kilgore was nominated and will receive the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission’s agency instructor of the year award at a ceremony on Oct. 2. The chief also noted that National Night Out was successful and that Sergeant Lacey’s investigative work has produced results across multiple jurisdictions.

The chief and council emphasized that the town code contains limited provisions for off‑road vehicle use on private property and in some cases the department’s enforcement options are constrained when activity occurs on private land rather than on public roadways.