LAWRENCE, Mass. — Numerous police departments took part in a joint operation Thursday to crack down on illegal off-road vehicles on the streets of Lawrence.
7 arrests were made, 10 other suspects were summonsed to face criminal charges, 18 vehicles were seized and 50 citations were issued, according to State Police. One stolen car was also located.
The joint operation comes on the heels of other enforcement efforts by state and local police in both Springfield and Lawrence in 2021 and Brockton earlier this year.
Video shows the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing assisting several police agencies with tracking the off-road vehicles, which can be seen swerving through busy intersections and onto sidewalks.
Of the suspects apprehended, several were charged with unlicensed operation, reckless operation, and receiving stolen property.
“The operation of off-road vehicles on city streets, often driven recklessly, causes a significant safety threat to motorists and pedestrians,” State Police wrote. “Complaints of dirt bike and ATV operation on Lawrence streets have increased in recent years. Many times, the operators of the dirt bikes were driving throughout the city at high speeds and with no regard for traffic laws.”
Authorities say earlier in the week, an MSP Gang Unit Trooper was injured by a male suspect while he was assisting in patrols related to an off-road vehicle complaint in Lawrence.
Police departments from Lawrence, Methuen, Andover, North Andover, the Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Environmental Police, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department all took part in the operation.
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