Davie officials discuss ATV 'street takeovers' and policing hurdles

Council members raised ongoing concerns about groups of ATVs and motorcycles staging what the meeting transcript called "street takeovers" on Griffin and Flamingo roads, saying riders sometimes "blow red lights" and ride in the middle of traffic, creating hazards for drivers and pedestrians.

A council member described seeing about 30 riders traveling through traffic and said the behavior was "really annoying" and "really scary." The chief replied that these gatherings are a social‑media phenomenon, explaining, "So what they do is it's they called street takeovers, and it's a social media thing. And they get together and they pick a location and they meet and they do that and they break all the traffic laws." The chief said police monitor social media and use SID, CID and detectives to try to intercept groups; "there's been some successes there where we find out ahead of time where they're gonna meet and we beat them to the spot or we get there with unmarked vehicles," the chief said.

The chief emphasized enforcement challenges when riders flee at the sight of police: "The problem is the same problem we have with other ATVs and motorcycles is they run from us and we can't chase them." He added that many ATVs are not legal for street use, while some legal motorcycles participate and break traffic laws while riding.

Council members noted video evidence of riders blowing a red light "right in front of the temple" and described tactics riders use to block intersections to allow others to perform wheelies. One council member referenced a recent arrest of influencer Jack Daugherty in Miami Beach, stating, "He got busted in Miami Beach for cocaine." The chief called that "a shame." The transcript contains these account statements but does not record follow-up investigations or formal charges in Davie.

No new enforcement policy or ordinance was adopted at the meeting; discussion focused on the scale of the problem and enforcement limits.