BRIDGEPORT, CT – Mayor Ganim announces the additional seizure of 7 ATVs, and 3 motorcycles in an effort to increase public safety and stop residents from illegally operating ATV’s on city streets. The seizure is the result of an operation conducted by a designated Bridgeport Police detail.
Pursuant to an ongoing investigation, and through a collaborative effort between the Bridgeport Police Department’s Patrol Division, Fusion Center, and Task Force, a motor vehicle stop in the City of Bridgeport was conducted, resulting in the recovery an ATV and two stolen lawnmowers valued at $631. The investigation continued and culminated with a search warrant for a location in Bridgeport that resulted in the recovery of six additional stolen ATV’s valued at a total of $40,940, and three motorcycles valued at a total of over $12,000. The recovered property was taken into custody by Bridgeport Police and removed from the scene by local tow companies contracted by the City. These All-Terrain Vehicles and lawnmowers are being held for evidence, as this investigation is on-going.
Dirt-bikes and quads have been increasingly visible throughout the city driving recklessly on city streets, disobeying traffic signals, disobeying stop signs, and boxing in vehicles. As a matter of public safety, recognizing numerous resident complaints, the illegal actions and the possibility for public harm led the Bridgeport Police Department to institute a Dirt-Bike/Quad detail. This detail targets dirt bikes and All-Terrain Vehicles, or mini-cycles operating illegally in the City of Bridgeport as outlined by the ordinance passed in September of 2019. A designated call line has been established by the Bridgeport Police Department for residents to report the ATV violations on city streets, at ATV Hotline 203-581-5171.