Appleton Police Department patch. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Fox 11 WLUK)
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Appleton Police Department is cracking down on safety on the roads.
It comes as the department is seeing an influx of dirt bikes on roadways, and even sidewalks.
Appleton Police said they’re seeing a lot of dirt bike use downtown on College Avenue. They warn using them on city streets is unsafe and illegal.
“If you think of like a really loud dirt bike, you think of like Ricky Carmichael, one of these classic motocross riders with the real loud two stroke style dirt bike, that’s what we’re experiencing down here,” Appleton Police officer Kyle Jakobsen said.
Jakobsen said the department has seen an uptick in reckless road behavior since mid-summer.
The culprit– off highway motocross-style dirt bikes.
“Early November, I think we fielded at least 12 calls that we know of regarding a specific group of dirt bike riders,” Jakobsen said.
Jakobsen said the riders are coming to downtown Appleton and purposely riding recklessly.
The dirt bikes are meant for off-road experiences.
They’re illegal on streets because they have no headlights, they’re unregistered, are often uninsured and don’t require a license.
“When you get a group of dirt bikes that are doing wheelies and passing on the shoulder even on the sidewalk, it obviously poses a pretty significant risk,” Jakobsen said.
Jakobsen said the bikes have also been connected to a number of fleeing incidents.
Now the department is cracking down, impounding three dirt bikes just this week.
“Anything that becomes reckless and outside of the confines of the law we have a zero tolerance approach and we’re going to be pretty aggressive about it,” Jakobsen said.
He hopes this will lead to a safer community for not only pedestrians, but drivers as well.
Appleton Police are asking for the community’s help.
If you see reckless dirt bike riding in the city, you’re asked to call the department’s non-emergency line at (920) 832-5500.
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