“It’s just gotten to the point that if we didn’t do something we’d be derelict in our duties.”

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news

Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara said kids speeding through town on electric bikes have crossed a threshold of risk where law enforcement needs to respond with speeding tickets and other violations.

“It’s gotten out of hand,” he said. 

O’Meara said he had watched juveniles speeding through town on e-bikes for a while. While his initial reaction was that something was wrong, he held back for a time, not wanting to spoil “every bit of fun,” he said. 

“But enough is enough, here comes the fun police,” O’Meara said.

Some e-bikes may reach 25 to 30 mph out of the box but can be modified to go more than 40 mph. 

“It’s a motor vehicle at that point,” O’Meara said. 

Juveniles under the age of 16 cannot legally operate motor vehicles, much less at high speeds. Tickets could be given to teens, or officers could arrive at a parent’s door to serve them with a violation, O’Meara said. Enough enforcement actions on a juvenile’s record could impede their ability to later get a driver’s license. O’Meara also said he “would never in a million years,” say that teenagers should automatically receive a ticket for every ill-advised thing they do. 

“It’s just gotten to the point that if we didn’t do something we’d be derelict in our duties,” he said. 

The Ashland Police Department is also increasing in staffing after a decrease in previous years, including the return of a motorcycle officer to the streets of Ashland. Officer Derreck Moore will soon complete his training and be ready to patrol. 

Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news.