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Police outline stepped‑up education and enforcement plan for e‑bikes and pocket bikes after residents report crashes
Summary
Police Captain Tim Frazier and Chief Mike Markle told council they are ramping public education, social media PSAs and targeted enforcement against illegal pocket bikes and unsafe e‑bike operation; the department said impoundments, citations for adults and potential parental citations for minors will be used.
A police briefing on roadway safety drew multiple council questions May 4 after staff said complaints and crashes involving high‑powered pocket bikes and modified e‑bikes have become more common across the city. Captain Tim Frazier, who oversees the traffic section, told the council the department has tracked a recent rise in incidents involving small motorized bikes that lack lights, turn signals and license plates and may travel at speeds far beyond typical pedal‑assist e‑bikes.
“Anything less than a 50‑cc engine is a pocket bike — those are not legal on roadways,” Captain Frazier said, explaining differences between pedal‑assist e‑bikes, motorized bicycles and pocket bikes. He said district‑level complaints were concentrated in neighborhoods as well as major corridors such as Ocean Drive and Yorktown.
Chief Mike Markle said the department has been amplifying outreach and would increase enforcement as summer nears, when juvenile riders will be out of school. “We’re going to redo it. We’re going to pin it to the top of all our social media…we’ve been out in Calallen, we’ve met with neighborhood groups and schools,” Markle said, adding that officers have confiscated illegal bikes and issued citations to adults. He said targeted traffic‑section deployments are planned as hotspots are identified.
Council members pressed for tangible next steps: a sharable graphic on vehicle classes and legality, a list of hotspots so neighborhood watch groups can assist, and clearer messaging on parental responsibility. Several councilmembers emphasized that enforcement should focus on behavior and public safety rather than on legitimate, licensed motorcycles.
What’s changing: The department said it will combine education and enforcement — more PSAs, neighborhood outreach, and targeted patrols. Illegal adult riders will be cited and their bikes impounded; for juveniles the department said citations of parents are an available tool. Council members asked for an update after the department’s next 30‑ to 60‑day outreach push.
Why it matters: Residents described serious near‑miss collisions and property damage from groups of high‑speed riders; the council framed the response as a public‑safety priority that combines public education with enforcement to reduce crashes without criminalizing appropriate, licensed use.
