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Police report rising illegal e-bike use after Water Street crash; department urges education and enforcement
Summary
Chief James Walsh told the committee that a recent Water Street e-bike crash and widespread illegal, high‑powered e-bikes are creating enforcement challenges; he described arrests, classification rules, and the need for public messaging and possible state-level measures.
Chief James Walsh reported on a recent serious e‑bike crash and said illegal e‑bike operation and youth use are widespread across the city. "We made an arrest actually at the fireworks with an individual who's driving a class 3, which is the same requirements of a motorcycle on the sidewalk doing about 40 miles per hour," he said, describing enforcement actions and an arrest tied to the holiday event.
Walsh described three classification levels for e-bikes under Connecticut law, noted that higher‑powered bikes (above 3,500 watts in the chief’s depiction) can meet motorcycle requirements (license, helmet), and explained enforcement challenges when riders flee or are masked. He told members the IDEMIA/live-scan discussion aside, the department has prioritized traffic enforcement and conducted coordinated operations in hotspot areas including the mall, waterfront, and parks.
Council members asked whether state law or additional officers would help and whether registration occurs automatically on purchase; the chief said buyers can receive e-bikes by delivery and would need to register at the DMV to meet motorcycle requirements. The committee discussed messaging to parents and the community; the chief said enforcement and education would continue.
