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Police urge caution as powerful e‑bikes and dirt‑bike style devices appear in parks and streets
Summary
Police and commissioners raised safety concerns about high‑powered electric bicycles and dirt‑bike style e‑bikes traveling at speeds up to 27–28 mph; officers said they are educating riders, contacting parents when appropriate and may enforce statutes if necessary.
Commissioners and police used the Jan. 28 meeting’s public‑comment period to flag a growing safety problem: juveniles riding high‑powered electric bicycles and dirt‑bike lookalikes on streets and in parks, sometimes traveling in packs and in the wrong lane.
Police described a multi‑pronged response of education, targeted enforcement and outreach. "They go up by 27, 28 miles an hour," an officer said, noting manufacturers tune equipment just below thresholds that would classify the devices as motor vehicles. Officers said they have directed enforcement for park riding, are educating parents, and will pursue statute-based enforcement as a last resort. Commissioners asked staff to continue outreach and increase patrol emphasis during weekends and community events.
