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Scooter riders cry Police harassment!

- Others blame younger ones for “messing it up” for everyone
Mr. Avery Williams, says young scooter riders in the VI spoils it for everybody else.
 Photo of confiscated Scooters, in custody at the Road Town Police Station.
Photo of confiscated Scooters, in custody at the Road Town Police Station.
Scooter of Kadeem Blackmoore, who said scooter riders are just the same as being in a four wheel vehicle.
Scooter of Kadeem Blackmoore, who said scooter riders are just the same as being in a four wheel vehicle.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Some scooter riders and owners within the Virgin Islands are claiming constant harassment from Police Officers and are calling for such treatment to come to an end while others are blaming the treatment on younger riders who they say “mess it up” for everyone.

In a recent investigation conducted by Virgin Islands News Online, some scooter riders revealed that police officers unfairly harass them when seen on the road and have labeled them to be obstructers of the road laws. The riders this news agency spoke with all shared the same sentiments in saying it is unfair and should stop.

At Pooky's Mechanics in Lower Estate, a popular spot for scooter riders, a group of scooter riders told this news site that police officers in the VI label persons on scooters, they claimed that the officers pull over scooter riders based on their looks.

"If you look too young they will pull you over, because they think your papers aren’t straight," said one rider who wished to remain anonymous he said to protect himself. The whole group of scooter riders nodded in agreement.

They stated that there are some Police officers who knows that nothing is wrong and will not stop you, but there are the others who harass and target persons specifically on scooters.

The group of young riders said they do not avoid the police, because they want to embarrass them, knowing that their papers are straight.

Scooter driver Phil and Kadeem Blackmoore, both expressed similar concerns during their individual interviews.

They told this news site that the Police do harass scooter riders, but in their opinion, it is because other scooter drivers living in the Virgin Islands “mess it up” for the innocent ones by breaking the traffic and road laws and their reckless driving.

"The police target people on scooters more than those driving cars and jeeps etc, because they think that it is us who cause the problems on the street and in traffic, they think we are big hazards on the road," said Phil.

After discussing with Phil what other scooter riders said, he stated that he agrees that the Police target people on scooters based on looks, assuming that “you’re a certain kind of person and demands for you to be stopped and searched, which is embarrassing. If I had a chance to speak my mind to an officer I would say they need to stop discriminating because we are doing nothing wrong."

Blackmoore said the officers need to stop judging them and realize it’s just the same as being in a four-wheeled vehicle, “we are just trying to get from point A to point B.”

As the investigation expanded, this publication interviewed another rider who also wished to remain anonymous and he did not put the blame on the Police but placed it on drivers of motor vehicles.

He stated that the Police are doing their jobs to keep the road 'in check', "but the ones who have no respect for scooter drivers are the people in the cars and jeeps etc". He said they drive purposely close to scooters to send them off the road, and when a scooter is trying to overtake them they would speed up, "and these are some of the many things they do."

Avery Williams, a much older scooter rider, said that some of the young people, who are in their teens up to 21, spoil it for everybody else. “They go around stealing scooters, then they are driving without permits and without licenses.”

"Some don’t have their scooters licensed or wear helmets or sometimes they don’t even have a personal license, and because of this, is why the Police target scooter riders, they also target scooter drivers because of reckless driving displayed by some."

Head of the Police Traffic Unit, Ariel Cameron, in response to the results of the investigation, stated that there are persons in the VI riding scooters without having a permit or license and that is why the majority of them are stopped to be checked.

According to the Police Traffic Chief, there are some people on the island, who do not adhere to the rules and regulations of the road and made it clear that the Police does not target everyone. "We don’t target everybody but there are some who mess it up for the others."

"There are people who are riding in a safe and secure manner with all their documents and papers straight, but there are others who just don’t care and have no respect for the law", said Cameron.

He stated that according to the Road Traffic Act Section 47, which also governs scooter riders, any one out of compliance, the Police is obligated to stop and search.

The Road Traffic Act Section 47 reads; It shall be lawful for any police officer in uniform to stop any motor vehicle on a road with view to ascertaining whether such vehicle is being used in contravention of this Act or any regulations, and in the event that any such vehicle is being so used, such police officer may take the vehicle or cause it to be taken to any police station there to be further examined.

20 Responses to “Scooter riders cry Police harassment!”

  • Jinx (02/05/2012, 08:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well you guys need to speak out to the young people for messing it up for everyone else!! The police just doing their jobs and I am happy they are because those boys are out of hand.
    • MOTHER EARTH (02/05/2012, 10:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      All you all who blaming the scooter riders should buy them a car!
  • Not2Sure (02/05/2012, 08:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I don't have too much sympathy. When scooter riders start acting more responsibly on the roads, I am sure the police will pay them less mind. If they keep behaving like they behave now, they are going to keep getting in trouble with the law.
  • police officer (02/05/2012, 08:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    very good piece vino..the facts are these dawn scooter riders are nothing but a nusence on the road
  • Wow! (02/05/2012, 10:10) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    peter for paul, paul pay for ALL! Smh!
  • laughing (02/05/2012, 10:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Where I come from Scooters are for girls and the elderly - it makes me laugh to see these young boys thinking they look cool on these silly little machines
    • lol (02/05/2012, 14:35) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      LOL However, the persons who were interviewed are making good points. I, on the other hand, think that the police should continue stop and search for operators or all automobiles and scooters. The police need to check the papers to ensure that the scooter is being ridden by the correct owner. Imagine if your scooter is stolen and the thief rides past police officers during a stop and search and is NOT stopped - because the officers noted the bike and said "o that guy is ok". You would start cursing and saying how incompetent they are. Therefore, officers need to mind their manners and deal with people like people not animals. Treat people with respect and rough up the houligans NOT vice versa.
  • JVD (02/05/2012, 10:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Just another way to oppress the youths and blame them for the ills of the BVI!!
    • BVI (02/05/2012, 12:19) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      you just dumb!!! Do you see what these guys do on the streets with these silly scooters??? Oppress what? Maybe a few more should start dying so that people like you can wake up and smell the coffee....not only that you are to drive for yourself and vehicles both behind and in front of you, you also have to be looking out for these jerks who do nothing but pure utter rubbish in the streets!!! SO SHUT UP!!!! UNEDUCATED,MINDLESS FOOL!!!!
      • block dem (02/05/2012, 16:11) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        bvi i do not normally agree with you but you hit de nail on the head dem scooter ridersd are spoil brats
    • really (02/05/2012, 20:12) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      You sound like a fool. The youths of today are some of the most privilege individuals you will ever find. They don't know what real opression is.
  • dem say (02/05/2012, 19:54) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Leave the lil lil scooter guys alone and go fight some real crime police 9 unsolved murders
    • man down (02/05/2012, 21:33) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      yeap robo cop always stopping and harassing deeds lil lil bouy on scooters
  • strupes (02/05/2012, 20:10) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Those scooter riders are nothing but a bunch of nuisance. Sometimes I feel I live in a war zone with the constant noise from these scooters. Just the other day they almost run down an elderly lady because they were racing and didn't have time to stop. If they cannot be controlled they should be banned.
  • good to great (02/05/2012, 21:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    good to see Avery Williams doing well for himself
  • Black Butterfly (03/05/2012, 11:17) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    They don't adhere to Cross walks or Pedestrians! I stopped my car to let a lady cross the street and had to blow my horn several times before she got knocked over r by a scooter seconds later! Scooter riders, just be mindful that making a third lane because you can and getting from Point A to B is not your only responsibility!
  • rocketlauncher (03/05/2012, 18:58) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Those young scooter riders are mostly a bunch of nuisances in Lower Estate. One scooter rider ran into, and broke through a glass door at Dougie's in broad daylight and infront a crowd of his buddies. He bailed before I got downstairs, but the sad thing was that NONE of his buddies knew who the rider was (quite conveniently). The police came and they refused to disclose the name of the rider - up to this day. When scooters are screeming up and down the Lower Estate road at 2:00 a.m., frightening folks out of their sleep, must I sympathetic towards them?
  • father of two (03/05/2012, 23:12) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Band scooters


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