From the Florida Today website:
Titusville revs up new ATV lawPolice team will fight illegal riders
BY KAUSTUV BASU
FLORIDA TODAY
TITUSVILLE - They ride on construction sites and bike trails illegally, police say.
With as many as five complaints a week, use of all-terrain vehicles is a fast-growing phenomenon in the city.
Titusville police will soon form an ATV unit to counter the growing problem.
City officials are also drafting an ordinance to further restrict ATV use.
The police unit, expected to be operational in a few weeks, will include two ATVs and a four-wheel-drive vehicle, police spokesman Todd Hutchinson said.
"The problem now is we are unable to reach some of these areas," Hutchinson said. "It is a challenge to apprehend them."
City Manager Tom Harmer said the number of complaints are on the rise. That holds true for other areas of Brevard County, as well.
In June, Brevard County Sheriff's deputies cracked down on illegal ATV usage in the southern part of the county after residents complained about riders tearing up yards and roadways.
"They ride on private property when no one has given them permission," Harmer said.
He said the proposed ordinance, which will come up for discussion later this month, will help address some potential gaps in a state law which restricts ATV usage.
Vice Mayor Conrad Eigenmann said rapid growth of the city is conflicting with outdoor recreational activities.
"I fully endorse the idea of the ordinance," he said. "The majority of people are law abiding. But there are always a few people who break the law."
The vice mayor said that designated riding areas for ATVs might be a solution. Eigenmann also owns Spaceport Cycles in Titusville, which sells about 20 ATVs a month.
Store manager Mark Mitchell said his family frequently rides ATVs in East Orlando or in Canaveral Groves.
"It gives us something to do," Mitchell said. "I love to ride the trails, being in the woods. There is no designated area in Titusville."
Contact Basu at 242 3724 or
kbasu@brevrad.gannett.comTo find out more about Titusville's proposed ordinance, contact the city's legal department at 383-5693.
