Syracuse police describe ATV enforcement detail, fines and tow policy as part of strategy to curb dangerous riding

Sergeant Tom Blake of the Syracuse Police Department on Monday outlined a multi-year enforcement effort to reduce illegal operation of all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and similar vehicles on city streets and parks, saying the program relies on drone surveillance, county air support and tips from residents.

Blake told the Syracuse City Common Council that the department’s ATV detail, launched in February 2019 and run annually since, is intelligence-driven and built around public education, an escalating local appearance ticket and an impoundment process designed to raise the cost of repeat violations. “I’m Tom Blake with the Syracuse Police Department,” he said when describing the department’s courtesy-letter and outreach approach.

The department enforces three primary violations under a local ATV law: operation on public roadways, operation in parks and operation on private property without permission. Blake said the local appearance ticket carries escalating fines: $500 for a first offense, $750 for a second and $1,000 for a third. In addition, vehicles taken as part of the detail are subject to a $2,000 redemption fee if the owner wishes to recover them from the tow yard.

Why it matters: Blake said the detail is tied directly to public-safety concerns — fatal crashes, weapons and drug recoveries — and to residents’ complaints about reckless riding. He said the…