The NYPD and the Queens district attorney’s office teamed up to seize illegal motorized scooters.


What You Need To Know

  • In the latest effort, 43 scooters were taken, officials said

  • The NYPD and Queens district attorney’s office started the crack down due to an increase in crimes involving scooters

  • According to authorities, the crimes range from traffic collisions to drive-by shootings

  • The scooters seized were from 10 locations in Queens

In the latest effort, 43 scooters were confiscated while they were parked — almost all of them were illegal, officials said.

They were taken from locations in Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona and Long Island City.

“They are illegal, they should not be parked on the sidewalk but more importantly these scooters very often and are becoming much more used in illegal crimes,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

The enforcement is a result of the police and Queens district attorney’s office seeing an increase in crimes with scooters involved ranging from traffic-related crimes to drive-by shootings.

“To have scooters right now running around the city, which you cannot identify the driver, most people wear helmets is a dangerous thing for the city,” Katz said.

The people NY1 spoke with shared opinions on how they say illegal scooters have interfered in their day-to-day lives and how they feel about the new enforcement effort.

“I will feel much safer. My wife goes jogging and there is a lot of danger, not only the danger of getting run over, but the robberies that are happening every day in this area,” Lauro Rojas said through a translator.

“Well, it is very good that they are doing this. I hope they stop them, their bikes, their motorcycles because they are doing whatever they want,” Judith Lopez said through a translator.

Katz said the scooters were taken from 10 separate locations.

Her office and police plan to conduct these enforcements as needed.