Springfield police ramp up crackdown on illegal dirt bikes

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Police Department continues its offensive against illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) and dirt bike activity, seizing five bikes and making one arrest in recent weeks.

The department’s Anti-OVH/Dirt Bike public safety detail has been addressing community complaints about the risky behavior of illegal riders on city streets.

These operations are focused on curbing activities that endanger both the riders and the public.

On May 7, Springfield officers confiscated an illegal dirt bike on Devonshire Road, issuing a citation to the rider involved.

A few days earlier, on May 4, law enforcement apprehended 19-year-old Kareem Prawl from Springfield on the 0-100 block of Westford Circle.

Prawl faces multiple charges, including Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Operating an OHV on a Public Way, Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Unregistered OHV, Uninsured Motor Vehicle, and OHV Helmet Violation.

The crackdown also led to the seizure of another dirt bike on May 3 in Hubbard Park, a move that’s part of a broader investigation into illegal OHV activities in the area.