Contrary to social media reports, there was no ATV mayhem Sunday night, say police

Sunday night proved to be a perfect night for riding.

This meant the decades-long tension between ATV enthusiasts and irritated residents escalated again. Police received multiple calls on July 16 from community members that droves of ATVs and dirt bikes were swarming police officers and throwing bottles at two locations — on Spring Garden Street and on the Parkway.

Tipsters also took to social media to sound an alarm, describing riot-like conditions, claiming 200 riders took to the streets.

A Philly public safety Twitter account with over 40,000 followers reported that officers had called for assistance to deal with riders surrounding them and hurling objects at their patrol cars. Then, a Temple University student-run safety account shared similar information to its nearly 12,000 followers.

Except police reports say that isn’t what happened.

According to a Police Department spokesperson, while the riding disturbs residents, there was nothing “uncharacteristic” about Sunday evening. The Police Department did have the ATV unit out, and they monitored and dispersed ATV and dirt bike riders throughout the city.

“...What I know is there is a minimal response from the police.”

The ATV detail made no arrests nor handed out any citations. There were also no police reports of thrown bottles.

For years, residents in areas most favored by ATV riders, including the Parkway, Spring Garden Street, and Broad Street, have been enraged by the sheer number of riders, the noise, and the reckless driving — including the weaving through traffic, riding on the sidewalk, and running red lights.

“It’s a real racetrack here,” said Harriet Williams, who lives across from the Art Museum. She is a leader of a community group in her apartment building that is concerned with riders, the noise they create, and how fast they seem to go. She said that while nothing on Sunday night was out of the ordinary, or reached anything near riot-like conditions, it still bothered her and other residents.

“This is a seven-night-a-week problem,” she said.

Williams has spoken with some of the riders near her building, and said they are always polite and apologetic when she brings up her concerns. But still, she and her group are frustrated with them and the police for not doing more to prevent it.

“We call 911 ... endlessly,” she said. “But what I know is there is a minimal response from the police.”

Joey Zazalino, president of the ATV Coalition, said police reports about ATV riders often get exaggerated in order to get police to come out.

“It’s a way of freedom. It’s a way to express yourself.”

The city does have long history of punitive actions against ATV riders, starting in 2012 when then-Mayor Michael Nutter banned the vehicles. Now the vehicles can be confiscated and riders fined up to $2,000. Since 2020, the Police Department has confiscated over 1,130 off-road vehicles and destroyed 977.

This hasn’t dampened ATV enthusiasts.

Meek Mill, a rapper noted for popularizing bike culture, said in an 2015 Inquirer interview, “when the bikes is out, everything turns off. All beef is off. Any drama goes off. That’s just the rules. If 100 bikes going by, nobody ever shoots at the bikes. Nothing ever goes wrong. The only thing that ever goes wrong is is some of those bikes get chased by the cops and there’s an accident. They might hurt somebody else.”

In January, WHYY News’ Bridging Blocks and the Free Library of Philadelphia hosted a forum to talk about the city’s dirt bike culture. Rider advocates consider the hobby a positive outlet that brings joy and prevents young riders from engaging in negative behaviors.

“They are happy [when they’re riding]. They love what they do and there is no gun violence,” said Zazalino, who has been advocating for years for a dedicated ATV park as a way to decrease friction between riders and residents. “When we give them a facility where they can ride, then we can give a $1,000 fine [for breaking the law].”

Zazalino added that several generations of riders have now come of age riding in the street, and many of them are “super talented.

“Riders have gotten comfortable riding on the street and they like the attention,” he said. “It’s a way of freedom. It’s a way to express yourself.”