Mayor Evans Sends Message to Illegal Riders: "Street Legal or Scrapyard Bound"

A pile of more than 50 illegal ATVs and dirt bikes met their end at the City Auto Impound Yard, Thursday, April 17, 2025, sending a clear message from Mayor Malik D. Evans: follow the law or say goodbye to your ride.

Standing alongside members of his team, Mayor Evans watched as the confiscated vehicles were drained of fluids and prepped for the scrap heap — part of a broader push to boost public safety and improve quality of life in Rochester’s neighborhoods.

Photo: City of Rochester

“The owners of these vehicles put a lot of money into a hobby that doesn’t belong on our streets,” said Evans. “Because they chose to break the law, their bikes are now scrap metal. The choice is simple: make it street legal, or it’s scrapyard ready.”

With spring temperatures rising, the Rochester Police Department (RPD) is stepping up enforcement against illegal ATV and dirt bike gatherings. These meetups, often held in streets, parking lots, parks, and green spaces, create dangerous conditions and nuisance behavior. Officers are cracking down — seizing bikes and delivering them straight to the impound yard.

The disposal event was part of the latest Public Safety Update, one of a series Mayor Evans has hosted since declaring a Gun Violence State of Emergency in 2022.

The emergency measures have made a major impact: gun crimes have fallen about 50% since 2021. Compared to this time last year, shootings in Rochester are down by 32%, shooting victims by 43%, and total homicides by 36% — dropping from 11 to 7 deaths. However, every homicide this year has still involved a firearm, a fact Mayor Evans cited as reason to keep emergency measures in place.

“Gun violence and overall violent crime remain our top priorities,” Evans said. “But we’re also coming after the quality-of-life crimes that erode our neighborhoods — illegal activities like reckless ATV and dirt bike riding. If you think we’re letting that slide, think again.”