A large pack of dirt bikes, at least 100 in number, were wheeling through the stoplights and stop signs, with no police to be seen. I suppose that for now, despite a pledged crackdown by Mayor Tuerk and Police Chief Roca, as long as the pack stays on the wrong side of the tracks, it's OK. But what's going to happen when the NIZ financed new riverfront projects come on line? Will the chaos still be tolerated?
One must wonder if Tuerk and Roca realize that for now they're sending the wrong message to the pack. Meanwhile, those too young for motor bikes practice their wheelies on Hamilton and Tilghman Street, looking forward to joining the pack in a few years.
Needless to say, this post is neither politically correct, nor culturally sensitive. However, I think that there must remain at least one place in Allentown where hard truth, even if it's a bitter pill, is still dispensed.
photocredit:Noah Rabinowitz/12 O'Clock Boys/Baltimore
The bad actors understand there is NO real penalty for misbehavior. Particularly for GROUP misbehavior. The problem tends to get worse. We are being overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteMarijuana is now openly tolerated in public over the rights of others to raise their kids and live in a drug free environment. Apparently anything goes in Allentown in 2022.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct... "Allentown, a city without limits"... do whatever you want...
DeleteI think it's about time for the city of Allentown to do something before someone gets killed they causes so much trouble 🤔 on the streets 🤔
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ReplyDeleteI encounted them scary. Nothing done to Get.rid them.
ReplyDeletePosters above reference this problem "getting worse" they are correct. Once this type of lawlessness becomes normalized, you'll have Philadelphia style convenience store takeovers where 50-100 or more thugs enter a business trash the place and take whatever they want. You'll see this in Allentown soon enough
ReplyDeleteReposting due to worse than usual typos.
ReplyDeleteRemember when Matt loudly proclaimed and used an obscenity to drive home the point that those who don't follow traffic laws will no longer be tolerated in Allentown. That was way back in September when a para professional was struck and killed by a car in front of Dieruff High. A week later after Matt's bold speech student was struck an injured there. Tuerk said nothing about the student and has done nothing to improve the enforcement of traffic laws in the city. The excuse the police offer at meetings is there aren't enough cops to do it. In fact, apparently there's not enough cops to do any enforcement of any laws in the city. Matt's new budget has a proposed addition of 4 new cops...4! Just 4! Clearly law enforcement of any kind isn't a priority. You get what you vote for folks. Wake up sometime and smell the coffee. You are the problem, you enabled Ed, Matt, Ce-Ce, Josh... to reek their havoc on us, you elected all of them and in some cases re-elected them. The ruination of the city and it's school district is your fault not theirs.
I’m surprised Tuerk didn’t seize the opportunity for a photo with the group.
ReplyDeleteWell if they don't have licenses take the bike away.There are older people who live in Allentown and They need to be safe.from kids whose parents don't give a care as to where they are or what they do.
ReplyDeleteThey aren't just kids
DeleteFolks, I'm afraid this is all by design. As soon as the homeowners are scared out, the wrecking ball comes in for more of "Reillytown".... I personally have nearly been wrecked multiple times at different times of the day due to these lawless idiots.
ReplyDeleteWe have paid for cameras that don't see and police that don't seem to care. The half-assed excuse that there isn't enough officers is a slap in the face to we, the taxpayers!!! How about hiring officers that will DO their job and shit canning the ones who REFUSE as I have witnessed NUMEROUS times.
We paid mega dollars for a centrally controlled stop light system, ostensibly so the PPL Center patrons can get in and out of town easily... GREAT, NOW we must STOP at every light on my way into or out of Allentown... where is OUR EASE??? No more can you drive the limit and sail smoothly in and out of town...!!!
OH, and BY THE WAY... this is the same camera system that is blind to fireworks being set off right underneath them!!!
SO, the BIG question may be, once they rid the city of homeowners and bring in the wrecking ball, will the police THEN be able to keep a lid on things??? Just asking for a friend....
This is the type of blog post that scuppered your quixotic house run MM
ReplyDeleteA few points:
ReplyDeleteI hope attendance at the games on the weekend were better than last year. I went to several games, and they struggled to fill even a quarter of the arena. That isn't good for Allentown, and I have to wonder if many of those "outside of Allentown" had run into the dirt bike/ATV mobs on their way to games last year. I don't know how long the Phantoms stay here if the city cannot guarantee a minimum level of safety for those wanting to come to the games. The mayor may find that what he ignores has repercussions beyond just the mayhem the bikers cause.
Along that same vein, just this past weekend Philly police were attacked by a dirt bike/ATV mob that threw bricks at police and their vehicles. Ignoring the problem won't work and will only lead to worsening problems. Do the police need to be attacked, or will a civilian have to be killed or seriously injured for the mayor and police chief to take the problem seriously?
Honestly, we don't have time for task forces and lengthy investigations. We need action. Direct action.
I remember when we were being told that the police needed a state law for local communities to effectively deal with the issue. I think they got that, correct? The time for excuses is long gone.
I see some tragedy arising from these rogue motorcyclists and bicyclists as their behavior escalates. Take their bikes and demolish them? They will steal new ones from law-abiding motorcyclists. One summer evening, 50 of these characters were heading east on Tilghman Street around the JCC at 6:30 PM. Angry motorists were heading east behind them and were passing them at dangerous rates of speed in the westbound lane. Maybe a death or two will shake folks up. Hopefully, it is not some innocent person who gets caught up in these irresponsible and dangerous games. I have little sympathy for these miscreants. They play the game, take the risk, and endure the consequences. Where is our army of community activists? Are they addressing this at all? Perhaps they do not have as much influence in their communities as they like to think they do.
ReplyDeleteI am extremely disappointed in the leadership of our city. Quality of life issues are not being addressed. The city picks and chooses what laws they enforce. Dirt bikes are buzzing around the city and double parking laws are not being enforced putting residents at risk.
ReplyDeletePer national policing standards we should have an additional 80 APD patrolmen and the mayor only included 5 additional officers in this year's budget. Our officers are overwhelmed by responding to emergency calls and have no time for proactive policing or enforcing quality of life issues. There seems to be next to no police presence in the westend. This is absolutely shameful. It is time for new leadership. I hope we all keep these issues in mind when it comes time to vote.