NEW YORK —Illegal motorcycle and scooter crimes continue to rise in New York City and police are focused on addressing the problem.
CBS News New York’s Jenna DeAngelis went with officers on an operation on Staten Island.
NYPD officers injured while attempting to take illegal vehicles off the streets
Two New York City police officers were injured and pulled over while attempting to remove illegal two-wheelers from the streets of Staten Island.
NYPD bodycam footage shows officers attacking a group of people on illegal dirt bikes, mopeds and scooters near the Staten Island Mall.
As someone tries to flee, a sergeant grabs the back of the bike and is dragged away. Another camera captures a cyclist who appears to accelerate as a lieutenant tries to arrest him, slamming the bike into a detective’s leg.
Deputy Chief Joseph Gulotta, commander of the Staten Island patrol district, said the lieutenant’s injuries were serious enough to require surgery, while detectives kept him from his duties.
Sgt. Jadd Zarieh, of Staten Island, was the officer seen in the video being dragged away.
“We are in unmarked cars. As soon as they see us, the members in uniform, they try to jump on their bikes and drive away… There is a risk that at any moment you can be seriously injured, just like the lieutenant,” he said.
Staten Island officers conduct motorcycle and scooter operation
Gulotta gave his team a boost at 121 Precinct before heading out on a mission to keep Staten Island safe.
According to police, the operation is fueled by safety concerns, community complaints and the presence of these illegal vehicles.
“Last year we seized 180. This year we are already at 240,” Gulotta said.
Within about 20 minutes, police stopped two motorcycles on the same road – one without license plates and another with tape covering only one digit of the license plate.
“What you do has consequences. You can’t just drive around and avoid toll roads, cameras and detection,” Gulotta said.
As police were writing tickets and impounding a bike that not only had no license plates but also no working signals, they saw another bike racing down the sidewalk. Officers caught up with it and arrested it.
“In this case he is charged with a felony, reckless endangerment,” Gulotta said.
“We’ve been at this for about two hours now, and how many have we seen already?” DeAngelis asked.
“We have seized quite a few from other locations and we have seen at least four or five ourselves,” Gulotta said.
“What do you think this says about all of this?” DeAngelis asked.
“It’s a widespread problem. It’s not only terrorizing neighborhoods, but if we look at it citywide, it’s also responsible for a lot of crime,” Gulotta said.
NYPD statistics show that the number of moped and scooter robberies has increased across the city: so far this year, as of mid-August, there have been 263 in 2022, 340 last year and 452 so far this year.
“That’s why we’re here tonight, to prevent not only us but the rest of the community from getting hurt,” Zahrieh said.
By the end of the night, the team had seized 13 vehicles and made three arrests, including a driver who police say had 15 temporary license plates. Those bikes were added to the collection in the parking lot near the 121, and police are confident they will add more.
Jenna DeAngelis
