ATLANTA — Atlanta's police chief admits her department was not prepared for all-terrain vehicle riders who hit the streets last weekend, interrupting traffic and damaging property.
Channel 2 Action News viewers sent us several videos as the riders rode throughout the city street on Sunday.
The police response to the riders has left some witnesses unimpressed.
"It's not something you want to do with families and others on the road," one witness told Channel 2's Matt Johnson. "Don't do it in the city."
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields candidly told the Atlanta City Council during a committee meeting Tuesday that the police response was not up to par.
“We've not had them in a while. They caught us flat-footed and we're back at it,” Shields said.
Channel 2 Action News received videos of riders weaving in and out of traffic on Interstate 75 and along Peachtree Street from downtown to Buckhead.
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A man Johnson spoke with on Monday said a rider damaged both of his side mirrors while illegally riding on city streets downtown.
Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Jeff Glazier said it can be challenging to get police vehicles in place quickly.
“We'll have that situational awareness this weekend and every weekend from here on out,” Glazier said.
The department said a collaborative effort on the ground and in the air is in place to get ahead of the problem that pops up every summer.
“We'll just have to bring more resources to the scene, lock more people up, impound their ATVs and make it financially uncomfortable for them to drive in the city,” Glazier said.
Police arrested Rafael Rivera, 37, after his ATV stalled in southwest Atlanta on Sunday.
“We don’t want to increase the danger by chasing them. They're already reckless enough,” Glazier said.
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