Worcester City Council Demands Action on Rampant ATVs
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor
Many of the Worcester City Councilors are upset with the amount of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) that are driving around the city, speeding around on roadways, tearing up public parks, and posing a threat to public safety, to the point that they are looking to city officials to come up with some form of punishment.
At the most recent City Council meeting, one order that was brought up was to request the City Manager and the City Solicitor to provide the City Council with the current limits in ordinances and protocols relating to ATVs being driven on city streets and parks.
“This is an issue that we have been discussing at neighborhood meetings for sometime now,” said City Councilor Sarai Rivera. “We want to look to the administration and to look at what ordinances and protocol are in place. Number one, there has been damage to property, but there is also a chance of loss of life. If we could take a look at this issue, it would be helpful to the safety of our city.”
After Rivera spoke at the meeting, many of the other City Councilors signed on, with others choosing to speak on the matter. Additionally, some councilors wanted to add conservation land, snowmobiles, and unregistered vehicles to the order.
Finding a Proper Punishment
In an effort to decrease improper usage of ATVs in Worcester, the city is now looking into what exactly can be done to help prevent ATV operators from destroying public property and causing public harm. According to City Councilor Economou, these ATV riders are threatening citizens.
A popular thought at the meeting was to check into the legality of confiscating the vehicles, something that City Councilor Gaffney was unsure about, instead suggesting an impounding method.
“City Councilors Economou and Rivera have taken a great lead on this initiative,” said City Councilor Bergman. We only have around six months to enjoy our parks, which most people would like to do in peace and quiet. For me, the ultimate punishment would be, if you drive on one of these parks or public areas, we take your bike away.”
A Draconian Measure
Most people throughout the Worcester community want to find an adequate solution in dealing with ATV throughout the city because not only do they destroy public property, but they can also be very dangerous to public safety.
While the City Solicitor and City Council work to uncover exactly what the city can do to combat these vehicles, Bill McCarthy – a criminal justice professor at Quinsigamond Community College and former member of the Connecticut State Police – says that imposing some form of confiscation to these vehicles could be “a draconian measure.” While not knowing what the best solution would be, McCarthy believes that harsh punishments are not the answer.
“During the summer, we always see an increase in ATV use,” said McCarthy. “I think it would be kind of silly to impose a one strike and you are out rule. It is also difficult to determine whom these vehicles belong to. It may also be hard to catch people in the act of riding them and if so, you wouldn’t want to engage the police in a chase; that would be even more dangerous.”
