The passed legislation comes two days after Operation 'Wheels Down', which resulted in 15 felony arrests, 30 citations and 15 confiscated vehicles.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland City Council passed legislation on May 23, cracking down on off-road vehicles by increasing fines within the city, according to Chief of Communications Joan Mazzolini.
The legislative action comes after the Cleveland Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol’s joint initiative resulted in 15 felony arrests, 30 citations and 15 confiscated vehicles during a law enforcement sting on May 21.The initiative was created by the City of Cleveland and state law enforcement agencies to develop and put strategies into place after increases in off-road vehicles being used on city streets, according to a press release.
“They are just overtaking intersections and causing chaos from one end of the city to the other,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley. “At some point, somebody’s gonna get killed. I was riding down the towpath in Tremont and I was overtaken by 3 dirt bikes and an ATV doing wheelies down a bike path,” he said.
“The City remains committed to ensuring that law enforcement has the resources necessary to continue to enforce laws and ensure safety on our streets and within our neighborhoods,” the statement said.