Source: Radio New Zealand
Local Councillor Lotu Fuli. Nick Monro
An Auckland City councillor is urging a 40-strong pack of dirt bikers to think of their community after police say they were driving dangerously at the weekend.
Officers were called to reports of bikers pulling wheelies, driving onto footpaths and into oncoming traffic in Ōtara at about 3.45pm on Sunday.
Authorities have decried the convoy and were hoping to find the riders as soon as possible before they kill themselves or someone else.
Local Councillor Lotu Fuli described the dirt biking as disruptive and disturbing.
“I can tell you that, generally speaking, our community does not support that kind of activity.”
She said many in the community would have been at church or spending time with family on the day the disruption occurred.
“Sunday is often the only day they get to spend with family, and in places of worship,” she said.
“That would’ve been really disruptive and really disturbing, and our community absolutely does not back that kind of anti-social behaviour.”
Fuli wanted those bikers to think about the community.
“What if that was your nan, or what if that was your little sister, or your mum, or your brother, or your best mate that was crossing the road, and then one of your bikes hit them or one of your mates bikes hit them?” Fuli said.
“This is your community, you’re part of our community as well. So, we’re asking you to just have some common sense, and just have respect for those who live next door to you, those who are part of your community, part of the city as well, and just stop doing what you’re doing, please.”
Councillor Fuli said funding should be looked at to engage with dirt bikers.
“That’s probably the piece of the puzzle that’s missing, and that’s the piece of the puzzle that is the least resourced,” she said.
Fuli thought council and government could look at funding for preventative measures and investment in outreach to the dirt bikers, to try and push them into more positive ways of contributing to the community.
It was also causing frustration for law-abiding dirt bike riders, like James.
“I think it shines a bad light on the rest of us really,” he said.
“We find it hard enough to get places to ride, and do it legally without getting a bad wrap like that.”
He said there should be more spots for dirt bike riders to use.
“For me and my son to go and ride at a local track, it’s now just shy of a hundred dollars, that’s a lot of money just for somewhere to squirt around on your bike for a little bit, so I think that would definitely slow it down.”
Police’s duty operations manager, Inspector Kerry Watson, told Checkpoint those involved pose a risk to the public.
“It’s really, really dangerous and concerning for the public when all of a sudden, you’re driving along and you’re enveloped or surrounded by 40 bikes,” he said.
“It’s not something we want to continue. We’ve had this occur over the past couple of years, not so much over the last year. It’s a trend we want to stop.”
Police said dozens of officers and the eagle helicopter were deployed to try split up the group, as officers worked with local petrol stations, hoping to catch bikers as they refuelled.
Watson said anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage should report it to police, as they worked to identify those involved.
A 25-year-old has been arrested and a bike has been impounded.
Watson said anyone who took part would lose their bike once caught.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
