WICOMICO COUNTY – Md. – Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis and State Sen. Johnny Mautz say the Police Accountability Act of 2022 would prevent law enforcement from cracking down on dirt bike and ATV gangs from Wicomico County roads.
And, residents say these illegal off-road motorists are putting everyone in danger. “When you have an ATV going down a path and a mother and her child in the road right next to it, it’s hard not to be scared,” said Ryan Maitland of Salisbury.
Maitland says he was once almost involved in a head-on collision with one of them. “No one is stopping them and you can just tell them to do what they want,” he said.
While law enforcement wants to crack down, they say it’s the law itself that prevents them from doing so. Sheriff Lewis says officers are responsible for any injuries or deaths that may occur if they initiate a high-speed chase with bicyclists.
“Maryland lawmakers changed the rules of engagement,” said Sheriff Lewis. “It would be different if they murdered someone, they say you can prosecute them because they are suspected of murder.”
Sheriff Lewis believes this is why drivers are seeing more activity from these off road vehicle gangs. He says they are “terrorizing residents” who legally use the roads every day. Some lawmakers agree that the problem has only escalated in Wicomico County.
“Willful disregard of the law, that must be dealt with, there must be consequences, there must be enforcement,” said Sen. Mautz. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case now and that’s what the Sheriff is talking about.”
Sen. Mautz says he and other lawmakers raised concerns about the new police regulations before the law. However, he doubts that there will be any changes to the legislation.
“My clear perception from what I’ve heard from the leaders in Annapolis is that they have no intention of changing, that they want to see them in place for the longest time,” said Sen. Mautz. Senator Mautz says lawmakers are looking at how the law is working, and collecting data to see if it’s helping or hindering communities across the state.
Sen. Mautz adds that law enforcement has tried other ways to stop street gangs, without starting a high-speed chase. One of these efforts includes impounding the vehicles and destroying them to prevent further use.
