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Council debates police motorcycles, citing rising e‑bike and scooter incidents on trails and in parks
Summary
Councilors and staff debated a proposed police motorcycle program (to be paid from a voter‑approved tax note) as one of several interdiction tools to address growing scooter/e‑bike complaints and park damage; some members worried about optics of buying equipment while cutting events and asking staff to accept freezes.
Highland Village’s July 21 work session included a lengthy debate over a proposed police motorcycle program funded from a voter‑approved tax note and intended to give officers a more mobile interdiction tool on trails, in parks and at school zones.
An agency official (speaker 4) told council the motorcycles would be a multi‑purpose policing tool — able to access trails and parking‑lot approaches that patrol cars cannot — and argued they could help interdict high‑speed e‑bikes and scooters that staff say are causing increasing damage and safety incidents. The chief cited criminal‑mischief counts across recent years and a rising number of calls mentioning scooters and e‑bikes; staff reported roughly 88 scooter/e‑bike‑related calls so far this year and several dozen criminal‑mischief reports over prior years.
Some councilors supported adding the motorcycles now to give police another enforcement tool. Others said the optics are problematic: several members objected to purchasing visible new equipment while the city proposes cuts to concerts, movies in the park and other community programs and maintains a hiring freeze on several positions. One councilor said, "We're raising property taxes and buying motorcycles," and asked whether the purchase could wait until the next budget year.
Staff emphasized the motorcycles would not be a stand‑alone solution: enforcement, ordinance changes and community education are all part of addressing micro‑mobility issues. The council did not approve a purchase; members asked staff for additional data on calls, park damage costs and enforcement options, and some councilors suggested a moratorium or ordinance review to restrict e‑bike/scooter use on sidewalks, trails and parks while enforcement tools and messaging are refined.
The police equipment request was discussed as a special‑revenue (tax‑note) capital item rather than a general‑fund expense; staff warned that deferring the tax‑note spending reduces the city’s ability to spend the bundle in the current budget cycle and that equipment prices and program timelines can change if delayed.
Council provided direction for more analysis but did not take a formal vote on the motorcycle supplemental during the work session.
