GILBERT, AZ (AZFamily) — Gilbert police are using drones to track groups of teenagers on e-motorcycles who perform dangerous stunts or take over roadways, avoiding potentially unsafe chase situations.
Gilbert Police Officer Travis Sheppard said the department receives calls about reckless riding every day, including riders traveling against traffic or taking up entire roadways. When officers try to pull the teens over, they sometimes flee.
“A chase in a patrol car would put police, the riders and the community at risk,” Sheppard said.
He said the drones provide a bird’s eye view that helps police catch riders without risking safety. A drone operator can track the group, either helping officers on the ground find them or following them until they go home.
“Don’t try to outsmart the police,” Sheppard said. “Sometimes we’re able to apprehend them before that, but a lot of times we can see where they land, and it puts us right where we need to be to deal with the rest of it.”
E-motorcycle riding issues are familiar to community members, too. William Cody Bell said he sees riders using e-motorcycles like vehicles on main roads, going in and out of traffic and doing wheelies on sidewalks. He thinks using drones is a safe way to hold riders accountable.
“It’s keeping them from getting hurt and keeping them from doing something dangerous to evade the police. So I think it’s a really good idea,” Bell said.
Neil Leatherman said he supports using drones to track riders but believes education should come first.
“Interesting, drones. I mean how else could you keep up with them, right? You’re not going to be able to track them down any other way.” Leatherman said. “To place infractions on them, I think that’s overstepping.”
Gilbert Police launched a ‘Know Your Ride’ campaign to educate both riders and parents about electric vehicles and the differences between e-bikes and e-motorcycles.
E-motorcycles are often faster than e-bikes and don’t have pedals. By law, they need to travel in the roadway and must be registered and insured.
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