“Wheels Up, Guns Down” safety initiative leads to nearly 150 arrests
By Hunter Geisel, John MacLauchlan
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MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — Nearly 150 people have been arrested so far as part of Miami-Dade Police’s safety initiative to crack down on the unlawful use of ATVs, motorcycles, and dirt bikes as part of “Wheels Up, Guns Down” rides during Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
On Friday, Miami-Dade police began its safety initiative to make sure that streets stay safe and everyone follows the rules of the road. It involves law enforcement officers with the police department’s Homeland Security Bureau, Priority Response Team and Motors Unit, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
“We have encountered visitors who come to our county to block roads and interfere with the flow of traffic. Participating in such activities will result in police action including arrests, citations, and your vehicle being impounded,” said Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie Daniels
On Friday, about 61 people were arrested as part of the safety initiative. Then on Saturday, another 35 people were arrested. On Sunday, there were 48 arrests, bringing the three-day total to 144.
According to MDPD, 554 citations have been issued, 20 firearms have been seized, 58 vehicles have been impounded and 14 stolen vehicles have been recovered.
“These tremendous results would not have been possible without the assistance of our local law enforcement partners,” police said in a statement. “We will continue to have Zero Tolerance for anyone breaking traffic laws and being reckless in our county.”
The annual event started as a way to honor a slain biker in Philadelphia but in recent years it’s become a dangerous display of riders doing stunts and racing on South Florida streets.
Miami-Dade police, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and other local law enforcement agencies said they will not tolerate any ATV or dirt bike riders who ride recklessly, block traffic, ride against it, pop wheelies, or ride on sidewalks.
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