Agreed Park Side! I have gotten to know the dispatchers' voices and know when I am being taken seriously and when they are probably not even writing it down. But I keep on calling.

so what do YOU think is the nhpd doing?
1. talking to construction workers
2. talking to other nhpd members at the gas station
3. catching bad guys
4. writing tickets
5. riding dirt bikes
6. none of the above

I was coming back from grand a pizza Saturday night and there was a squad car in front of that store on quinnipiac, about 10 dirt bikes went screaming up grand avenue hill and the officers car just sat there, did nothing.... typical, I thought to myself..

Apparently, in new haven, you can commit whatever crime you'd like, as long as a dirt bike is used as a getaway vehicle.... nhpd isn't capable of stopping them.

I appologize for being cynical, but I have bad news for you. We have been @#$% about this FOR YEARS. Here is all you need to know:

NHPD takes an "our hands are tied" approach to these scumbags. They will waste hours arguing with you about it online and they have some amazing tales of thier exploits for community meetings. Puffed out chests, hands on hips, shouting with rage... The little old ladies stand and clap... The law says, no chasing them. The siezure laws are becoming more strict but only on certain types of ATV. So save your breath. Carry a nice cup of coffee and toss it at them as they go the opposite direction. If they chase you just hit an interstate on ramp. They ate all little chicken boys who ride cause they like the vibration on their bums. Some day some one will go vigilante on them, or they will kill a kid and the press will have a field day, until then get your camera and some ear plugs. Because this town is a okay taking your car for a $3 tax bill, telling you what you can do on your own land, and making you pay to park while paying one of the highest tax rates on the shoreline, but chasing dirt bikes makes them NOTHING, so bank on being annoyed this summer.

All that said, an ATV buy back program? Down payment on a moped? Solutions they use for every other problem, nada.

Sgt.

Would you please update us on the what the new official policy is and what NHPD is actively doing about this dirt bike problem. If we can't see any enforcement we assume there isn't any. What is the scoop?

There isn't any. That's the scoop.

Park side- Contrary to belief- The Police Department and myself are working on this exhausting problem..stay tuned...Community Management team meeting Tomorrow night at 7pm at Ross/Woodward school 185 Barnes Avenue..I will be there to give updates and reports and to hear issues (Dirt bikes included).

Contrary to some folks beliefs on this issue, Sgt Vinnie does have our backs on this. And when the new laws kick in with the heavier fines and longer detainment of confiscated bikes, the NHPD will finally have the tools they've so desperately needed to battle back. The bikers found a particular niche to exploit for the past few years and that niche is about to be crushed within a few months.

Thank you Sgt., I know you are doing everythng you can for us

I wanted to attend tonight's meeting, but am sick; can someone post an update after the meeting, please? Thank you!

QUOTE: " Sgt. Anastasio (Guest)

Park side- Contrary to belief- The Police Department and myself are working on this exhausting problem..stay tuned...Community Management team meeting Tomorrow night at 7pm at Ross/Woodward school 185 Barnes Avenue."

I'm confused.....there was a MEETING TONIGHT (Tues 6/4)? I heard NOTHING about his. Was it publicized in any way? I was told the QEMT meetings have been discontinued. What's the truth here? This is frustrating....

It's called : getting the run around... Christ.

The NHPD dispatchers need to take us more seriously. They always make me feel like an idiot when I call these infractions in. Those scofflaw kids are going to grow up to be scofflaw adults. New Haven has great potential. The Heights have great potential. Let's elect someone who cares more about making this a better, safer place. Sometimes, I wonder why I still live here. Guess I'm holding out hope...

I have had nothing but good interactions with Sgt. Anastasio, and I do believe that he wants this issue fixed, and that he is on our side. However, he is just one officer, and and as much as I would love to have him in our neighborhood 24/7, that is not realistic. I would like to see the dispatchers trained to take these complaints seriously, and I would like to see more police presence in the neighborhood during the afternoons on the weekdays, and during the whole weekend.

Yesterday the same kid on the blue and white dirt bike was at it again. Again for hours. Up and down Clifton, in and out of the park. I have seen him every day since the middle of last week. This also means there hasn't been a peaceful day in the neighborhood for at least the last 7 days. He's probably in school because he rides most afternoons when most people are at work, but school kids are home. Of course, I work in a school, so I have no idea if he rides in the mornings too or not.

I could not make the meeting last night, I had previous plans and had not heard about the meeting until the Sarge posted it here. Can we get an update?

Is there anyway we can get a contact person during the weekend who will take us seriously? I think half the problem is that I feel that when I call the reports in sometimes I get a great dispatcher who takes all the info, asks if I want to speak to the officer, etc, but usually I get someone who obviously doesn't care, doesn't treat my complaint seriously, and who takes half the info and then hangs up on me. This is a serious quality of life and safety issue in our neighborhood.

I've called NHPD about 10 times on various complaints. Vandalism, tresspassing, illegal trash dumping, gunfire, robbery, theyve never shown up once . I've called the main number and Woodward Avenue substation, and I've never had an officer show.

Actually, the only time I see a squad car on Q Ave, is when they're doing 70mph.

Okay - the Quinnipiac East Management team has been revised after a 6 month hiatus and it will continue to be regular meetings again on the 1st tuesday of every month at Ross/Woodward school at 185 Barnes Avenue..the time is 7pm ..we will try to accomodate more people if its more convienent to come earlier but we need input on that......a press conference is coming soon about the dirtbikes and atv's ..i cant disclose anything more than that on this forum but if you call the substation , I certainly will have a conversation with you about these issues....and too (Resident) You havent called my substation because I call back everybody , in fact , ive made quite a number of arrests and gathered very vital information from the community who call me direct (so it works).and if you would like a more personal conversation about what the Police Department does or doesnt do...call the correct substation number (203)946-7163 and if im not there ill call you back...I cant comment on the dispatchers but they do have a supervisor in the room ..ask to speak with them.

Not much on this from new Fair Haven sun station sgt. Zona was outstanding, hope the new officer is as proactive about working with neighborhood as Zona was.

Thank you for the update, Sgt. Anastasio. I know riders are being arrested, as I see them fuming about it on their Instagram pages and I watch the flatbed tow trucks drive by with dirt bikes strapped down!

Here's the announcement on the upcoming press conference:

PRESS CONFERENCE "ONGOING DIRT-BIKE ATV STING OPERATION" set for Friday, June 7, 2013 at 5:00 pm at 710 Sherman Parkway

The New Haven Police Department will hold a Press Event regarding the ONGOING DIRT-BIKE ATV STING OPERATION on Friday, June 7, 2013 at 5:00 pm. at 710 Sherman Pkwy. at the Police Impound Yard. (The impound yard is behind the New Haven Police Academy building)

Please join Mayor John DeStefano Jr, Chief Dean M. Esserman, members of the Board of Alderman and department command staff for this important event.

I hope the reinstatement of the QEMT meetings at Ross Woodward is somehow publicized. I would never have known about them if I hadn't stumbled upon this thread. I live on the Northeast edge of New Haven near Bishop Woods Bird Sanctuary and the dirt bike/ATV issue is unbelievable. I see the damage all the time when I hike behind my condo: "modifications" made to so-called protected open space by a bunch of guys (most are grown men with their small kids on kid-sized vehicles; they're teaching another generation to break the law!) with seemingly nothing better to do. Unfortunately, they have the time and the means to build their own ramps and jumps in the Woods and NOBODY STOPS THEM. It's like they feel entitled to morph this open space to suit their dirt bike and quad-riding whims. It's maddening, it's destructive, and the inaction by police and the parks dept only emboldens the riders. And I wholeheartedly agree with others about the police dispatchers. They react as though we should be lucky they picked up the phone and get snippy when we ask them to simply do their jobs. Patience is running thin on the part of the honest, hardworking New Haven taxpayers; this goes beyond a quality of life issue...at least from what I see. The same people who have no regard for the law and ride a quad or dirtbike up a street at 50 mph are the same people selling drugs, chaining their dogs outside on a hot day for hours without water, etc. Many have prior arrests and very few from what I can see have legitimate means of supporting themselves (no "real" jobs). Sorry to go on an on, but I am nearly at my wits end and am sorry to say that I'm pessimistic even about the "STING" mentioned in the above press release. I hope I'm wrong, but I just can't imagine New Haven doing a 180 degree policy reversal and suddenly cracking down on this issue. *sigh*

you people sound so ignorant, not everyone who rides a dirt bike sells drugs or has been arrested, i owned a dirt bike, (never sold drugs and have a clean record) and unfortunately decided to sell it bc there just isn't a place to ride. i dont agree with people riding around the streets putting others in harm but at the same time the state spends lots of money doing other ridiculous things, why cant they just give us a place to ride, just an open lot, something, anything, thats not being used. this whole atv and dirt bike thing is just being blown up way too big bc of nosey people who have nothing better to do other than complain and cant mind their own business but thats how it is in connecticut, smh at you people

Huge thanks to Sarge Anastasio and Justin Elicker, sounds from the Independent you were voices speaking up for us to get dangerous and illegal activity off the streets!

To the last guest comment - the reason we're all being so loud about this and kicking up a fuss is because there are people saying it's no problem as bikes circle our cars, showboat on our streets and ignore lights/traffic laws. It really brings a neighborhood down. I've got no problem with giving a place to ride outside of the city, but from what most dirtbikers say they wouldn't use it even it if were there. And they're the ones looking for attention that are choosing high population areas outside of downtown and East Rock to race round in. If you call it nosey wanting people to not, say go double a speed limit, then call me nosey. But that's not what I call nosey, that's what I call sensible. If you want me to mind my own business, don't race around in front of me making as loud a noise as possible. Get it?

I stand corrected. Great news that the NHPD has started to clamp down on illegal bikes. Thanks a million!

This was the quietest Sat On Q ave I can remember. I hope it stays this way. Keep up the good work!

I agree--I hope the NHPD stays with Fair Haven residents on this long term!

I will be closing dirt bike/ATV complaints that pre-date the conclusion of the police undercover operation (see www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/9_arrested_in_dirt_bike_sting/). I do not expect the dirt bike/ATV issue to be completely solved, but it will be helpful to policing efforts to distinguish new reports from those before this recent operation.

Please open up new SCF issues as dirt bike/ATV issues re-occur.

- Rob Smuts, Chief Administrative Officer