Suburban Utahns report harassment by teens on e-motorcycles
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Damage at a Draper park from e-motorcycles. Photo: Courtesy of Draper Police
Draper police say residents have reported teens on e-motorcycles pelting passers-by with rocks and garbage, threatening strangers and shredding parks and trails before fleeing at highway speeds.
Why it matters: The behavior of kids on e-motorcycles is unusually brazen, police say — and parents in the tony Salt Lake suburb have shown reluctance to rein them in.
The big picture: Complaints of risky driving have proliferated in recent years, as more high-powered e-motorcycles and dirt bikes hit the road.
- Unlike traditional e-bikes, these vehicles aren't pedaled — and some can travel close to 70 mph.
The fine print: Many municipalities — including Draper — have long approached e-motorcycles as off-road vehicles, illegal for street use.
- Others treat them as motorcycles, off-limits for anyone under 16 — which will become the rule statewide next month under a law passed this year.
What they're saying: "We are finding that there seems to be a sense of empowerment amongst these kids," who are usually about 12 to 15 years old, Draper Lt. Mike Elkins told Axios.
- Because the bikes are so fast, riders aren't concerned about getting caught, Elkins said.
- A group allegedly surrounded and taunted an adult who confronted them earlier this month at Draper Park after they'd thrown rocks at her child, Elkins said. A similar episode played out recently in Riverton, Shane Taylor, the city's police chief, told Axios.
- Other Utah cities are seeing reports of harassment, private property damage, near-misses with pedestrians and entitled behavior.
Zoom in: Kids on e-motorcycles frequently try to bait police, waving for attention and pulling stunts, Elkins said.
- If an officer tries to stop them, "they're Mach-6 gone," he said.
The intrigue: When police posted warnings against the vehicles on social media, "the backlash from it — from people saying, 'Leave them alone' — was just unbelievable," Elkins said.
- "It's been surprising to me to see parents treat this sort of behavior as 'kids will be kids' and not be concerned with their actions," Taylor added.