BUFFALO, N.Y. — It’s quieter on Skillen Street, and Jay Downey is happy about that.
“I was talking to my friend, John, and we truly believe that something changed, and we’re thankful for that,” Downey said.
What’s been reduced has been the number of dirt bikes and ATVs racing down the street.
On a sunny Sunday in March, security cameras on Downey’s home captured a swarm of the vehicles racing down Skillen. The pack was riding on both lanes of the street. Video shows on-coming cars stopping to avoid head-on collisions.
The Buffalo Police Department acknowledges in recent years that this problem has, according to one unnamed official, “gotten out of control.” Complaints about dirt bikes and ATVs come in from all over the city. During the coronavirus pandemic last year, the street riders were out more frequently.
Hoping to put a dent in the problem, Mayor Byron Brown two weeks ago announced a reward program: $100 was offered for information that led to the seizure of an illegally operated dirt bike or ATV.
When asked about the rather small amount of money being offered, the mayor said he believed city residents already upset about the problem just needed a “nudge.”
And tips have come in, leading to vehicles being confiscated, according to Captain Jeffrey Rinaldo.
“A lot of calls came in after we announced it," he said. "All throughout the city, (people) are really fed up with this particular behavior, of people riding these motorized vehicles recklessly.”
Rinaldo says the department does expect dirt bikes and ATVs to resurface now, with the return of warmer weather, but residents will continue to come in with tips.
The confidential tip line for the Buffalo Police Department is (716) 847-2255.