READING, Pa. (WTVO) — Police in Pennsylvania are cracking down on illegal ATV’s by seizing and destroying the vehicles.

“Obviously the ATV thing in the city is ridiculous, it’s out of hand. So, city council and the chief have worked together to put together a process that we could seize these vehicles,” Sgt. Mel Fegley of the Reading Police Department, told WFMZ.

The city council unanimously approved the plan from the code and license appeals board that allows police to seize the vehicles if a rider is caught illegally operating them on city streets, posing a danger to pedestrians and other travelers.

“If you’re riding your ATV in the city and it’s illegal, we are going to smash it and you’re not getting it back, it’s never gonna be ridden again,” said Sgt. Fegley. 

Police said they opted to have the vehicles destroyed rather then sell them at auction, for fear that they would end up back on the streets.

The department posted a video on Facebook showing an excavator crushing dirt bikes from a dumpster,

In August of 2020, a crash resulted in the driver of a dirt bike. According to WCAU, the city of Reading receives countless complaints of ATVs.

“To the people who are living in the city and doing the right thing, they’re law abiding they’re good people. And they’re the ones diving out of the streets or they don’t want their kids to play basketball in the streets, because these knuckleheads are riding up and down we are sending a message to them too,” said Fegley. 

The city has destroyed at least 50 ATVs so far.