New Haven mayor urges broader tools to fight street takeovers and illegal ATVs; bill would expand impound and destroy authority

Mayor Justin Elicher of New Haven and Corporation Counsel Patricia King appeared before the Judiciary Committee to support SB 1284, a bill the city said would give municipalities additional tools to combat illegal street takeovers and off‑road vehicle activity such as dirt bikes and ATVs on public roads.

New Haven told the committee the city has used local ordinances, a joint regional task force, stop‑sticks, drones and technology to reduce the problem, but existing state limits on vehicle disposition and penalties blunt enforcement. The bill would add fines, allow municipalities to impound and destroy seized ATVs and dirt bikes (including when lien holders fail to respond), and permit license suspensions for participants in recorded street takeover events. Mayor Elicher requested that license‑suspension penalties be extended to ATV and dirt‑bike riders when appropriate.

Corporation Counsel Patricia King said municipalities need the authority to destroy seized off‑road machines rather than auction them because auctions can return confiscated vehicles to illegal users. The city noted prior state changes that mandated indefinite firearm storage and asked legislators to consider storage and disposal language similar to the state’s in‑rem statutes.

The committee discussed details including lienholder notice and municipal storage burdens. No vote was taken; the city said it can provide proposed drafting language and asked the committee to include storage and disposal options that do not recycle seized machines into criminal markets.