After announcing a crackdown Thursday on riders of illegal ATVs and dirt bikes, the Providence police say they seized 13 illegal vehicles and apprehended five people.
The news conference, held in front of the Providence Public Safety Complex, came two days after the Cranston police arrested two Providence men who were in a group of about 60 riders that rode into that city from Providence.
The phones at the police station ring constantly whenever a group of riders roars through city streets, according to public safety officials. Solving the problem is complex, according to Paré. The vehicles are fast and can get through and around a lot of tight spaces, he said.
Providence s trouble with the machines isn t unique. Clements says he s discussed the issue with police in other cities, including Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia. He has also talked with departments closer to home, such as Cranston, and says the neighboring departments plan to work together, in some cases employing plainclothes officers, to stop the bikes and ATVs.