NORFOLK, Va. — In a 7-1 vote, the Norfolk City Council passed an ordinance giving police the ability to seize ATVs and dirt bikes when people are illegally operating them on city streets.
During the pandemic, people began posting videos of themselves riding dirt bikes and ATVs on social media platforms like TikTok. These vehicles became a more common sight on the streets of Virginia, prompting an effort to crack down on them.
“We’ve lived downtown since 2020,” said Jason McDonald, who enjoys the accessibility of living in downtown Norfolk. “All the activity—I mean, being able to walk to restaurants and see the visitors.”
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But over the last few years, he and neighbors across Norfolk have noticed the noise and disruption caused by dirt bikes and ATVs being driven on city streets.
“It’s kind of noisy,” McDonald said. “There are a lot of residents, both condo owners and apartment dwellers, and that can affect how loud it is downtown.”
Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi says the issue goes beyond just noise.
“This is work that I believe in; it’s a public safety matter,” Fatehi said.
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For years, there have been efforts to give local governments the ability to empower police to seize these vehicles.
The General Assembly approved a law change last year, allowing local governments to decide whether to grant police this authority.
“This is an important tool for law enforcement to have in the event they need it,” Fatehi explained. “If they don’t need it and they’re not using it, there’s no downside to having it available.”
If approved, Norfolk would join Hampton and Virginia Beach in enacting similar ordinances. Supporters argue that this legislation serves as a further deterrent beyond ticketing.
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“It will impose sanctions and consequences on the individuals who are the owners or operators of those ATVs,” Fatehi added.
McDonald, who is the president of the Downtown Norfolk Civic League, supports the measure.
“If this is a way for Norfolk to be safer and for the riders and pedestrians to be safer, then, yeah, absolutely, that’s something the civic league is for and always will be for,” he said.
