April showers bring May flowers, as well as warmer, longer days – and the roar of illegal ATVs and dirt bikes.

When the weather gets nice, wannabe tough guys from across the fruited plain pull their dangerous and noisy toys out of winter storage to wreak havoc on otherwise peaceful streets and neighborhoods, popping wheelies and harassing drivers and pedestrians alike.

It's the "look at me" crowd.

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Frankly, the crowd is childish and unexciting but requires your attention because their antics can cause you pain if not death.

When the weather gets nice, wannabee tough guys from across the fruited plain pull their dangerous and noisy toys out of winter storage to wreak havoc on otherwise peaceful streets and neighborhoods, popping wheelies and harassing drivers and pedestrians alike.
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Last summer, New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliviera launched "Operation Safe Streets" with an anonymous tip line for residents to call with information about who is operating these vehicles and where they are stored.

"This will allow us to act on this illegal activity without having to engage in pursuit, which of course is extremely dangerous for all involved," Oliveira said.

This year, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and Police Col. Oscar Perez have launched the Providence Police Community Response Team to help address the "quality of life issues" affecting residents.

"The response team will use more resources than in past years to help detect illegal activity before it happens and hold violators accountable," WPRI reported.

When the weather gets nice, wannabee tough guys from across the fruited plain pull their dangerous and noisy toys out of winter storage to wreak havoc on otherwise peaceful streets and neighborhoods, popping wheelies and harassing drivers and pedestrians alike.
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Police plan to treat these situations like investigations and "target individuals who are associated with ATV storage, operation, and sales."

Smiley said police will use video, social media, undercover police work, and "information obtained through the Community Relations Bureau" to crack down on offenders.

Providence Police have established a hotline for residents to report information about ATVs or dirt bikes being illegally driven or stored.

New Bedford's hotline number is (508) 99-CRIME.

The new Providence hotline number is (401) 680-TATV (8288).

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