Providence crushes seized ATVs to underscore their illegality

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez and Mayor Brett Smiley announce all-terrain vehicles deemed illegal by the city and seized over the last few weeks were being crushed at a city yard May 25, 2023. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

WPRO News

Providence city officials on Thursday crushed a handful of the 63 all-terrain vehicles seized by a police task force announced just over five weeks ago, to underscore their illegality at the traditional Memorial Day weekend start to the summer season.

A front-end loader was used to flatten about a dozen of the seized bikes, then scooped them into a large, metal trash bin at a city yard off Allens Avenue.

โ€œThese vehicles are dangerous,โ€ said Mayor Brett Smiley. โ€œThe use of illegal ATVs and dirt bikes make our streets unsafe and pose a tremendous risk to those who operate them. Weโ€™ve heard loud and clear from our neighbors that this is an issue impacting the quality of life and impacting public safety, which is why this has been a priority of mine since taking office.โ€

Smiley said the new, Community Response Team had made 24 arrests since it was formed. Police Chief Oscar Perez said the dirt bikes and ATVs had been seized โ€œall over the city.โ€

โ€œBut we have certain hot spots in the city that we conduct intelligence on, because we know there are hot spots where they gather. But I donโ€™t want to come out here and start telling you exactly because we know where they are, and thatโ€™s the reason weโ€™ve been so successful in making so many apprehensions and seizing so many within a month,โ€ Colonel Perez said.

Some time after the ATVs were destroyed, an angry Jeremy Costa appeared at the yard. A spokesman for riders, he said he knew of two women who had bikes taken from their property by the city, and said legal challenges were being considered.

A front-end loader is used to crush ATVs seized by Providence in a nearly six-week crackdown on the vehicles, deemed illegal in the city. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

More from 630WPRO.COM