The problems, police say, seem to stem from those riding electric motorcycles and gas-powered minibikes.
They were there last week too, said Lt. Steve Wooldridge, as part of an ongoing effort to tamp down illegal activity including littering, blocking traffic, noise complaints, assaults and other mischief before, during and after the meandering ride. Wooldridge said officers weren’t around to fundamentally change the ride, where cyclists are so numerous they often take up entire city streets and run red lights to avoid splitting up the massive group. They just want to make sure it is safe, he said.
sirens and flashing lights to pull the dirt biker over, yelling over a speaker to get the man’s attention and ask that he not ride away, but, the report states, “the male turned to look at me and then sped up to flee.” Weisberg emphasized that this operation isn’t like others that aim to curb violent crime, such as their recent show-of-force“When we get complaints, we have to do something. We have to react, and that’s that point of this,” Weisberg said. “It’s not an enforcement crackdown. This is not a get tough approach.”
In a private 999 ride Facebook group, one person suggested meeting at Liberty Park instead to avoid police at Continental Cleaners. Another joked, “Where are you guys meeting next week? ”traffic laws by staying in the correct lane of travel, stop running red lights and quit blocking intersections. Just after 9:30 p.m., a person shouted it was time to go. “Toward the whale!,” a man yelled, followed by some cheers and whoops from the crowd.
Party music — ‘90s pump-up jams and 2000s club staples — bumped at reasonable volumes from speakers that some riders carried. The music was loud enough to be heard, but not so loud that anyone struggled to carry on quiet conversation as they pedaled.