The process includes a 30-day period, from March 6 to April 2, to allow the public to review and comment on the preliminary grant application.
Officials are encouraging residents to view the grant application and submit their comments and questions. The Antelope Valley State Parks and Recreation Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Application can be viewed at Palmdale.lasd.org under Featured Services/Off Road Enforcement Program.
Comments on the application must be received by April 3. The public may provide comments to both the Antelope Valley OHV team and the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division by emailing lasdohv@lasd.org and carbon copying OHVinfo@parks.ca.gov.
To complete a survey to help the community and the Sheriff’s Department better understand relations between residents and law enforcement, visit:
www.tinyurl.com/avcs14
About the local Off-Highway Vehicle Enforcement Team
In order to tackle the high volume of off-highway vehicle complaints, the Palmdale Station OHV team was created in 2000, initially concentrating on issues within the city of Palmdale. The team’s patrol area now covers the entire Northern Los Angeles County, so the OHV team has increased in size accordingly.
The team added personnel from Lancaster Sheriff’s Station and Community Partnerships Bureau in order to patrol more frequently and effectively. The Antelope Valley OHV team now consists of one lieutenant, three sergeants and nine deputies.
They currently use the Lancaster and Palmdale Sheriff’s Stations and the Quartz Hill Substation to deploy from and respond to OHV complaints and to conduct routine patrols.
The Sheriff’s Department’s Community Partnerships Bureau is a county-funded unit and concentrates on quality of life issues in the unincorporated areas. The OHV team deploys throughout the week to handle OHV complaints, which are called in by the public to either Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, Lancaster Sheriff’s Station or the 5th District County Supervisor’s Office.
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Brian says
How about catching these Illegal dumpers! That is a bigger problem! There is more Trash being dumped everyday
Laughing says
Some well place game/trail cameras along the roads and common dumping areas might work.
TBundy says
If rode in the Antelope Valley all my life. We use to be allowed to ride our dirtbike’s to Palmdale High School.
Times change, there’s to many people riding making to big of an impact. Most of you idiots can’t seem to even slow down while riding by my house illegally. Your lack of consideration makes me want to see you get a citation.
However ticking that young man the day before he went into the Military was BS. Yes, he was riding illegally but talk about being a douchebag with a badge.. Jesus Christ!
Othelzer says
As a almost 50 year anti-lope valley resident and motorcycle enthusiast
the imposition of police oversight is inevitable, the chinesium quads that never
get registered, are just trade value for meth heads and gangbangers .
I myself have road many years without registering off road, I have pretty much
stopped riding until I register the bike. We used to have traveling sheriffs and
circuit city court judges this idea is not new; embracing oversight is a necessary part
of being a member of society and not a nomadic outlaw. todays fields are tomorrows
beverly hills and we have some really beautiful country here to share.
that said to confiscate bikes for lack of registration would be a imoral travesty , the sheriffs
have lacked that balance for nearly 20 of the 50 years I have been riding. vehicle licences were
permitted because of improved highways ,,,,, dirt trails are not the roman roads of the empires
as long as registration is reasonable and fines are commensurate with “Off Road” infractions
and the gawd awful 285% assessment is not charged . then yea , bring the sheriff.
but I predict the sheriff cannot help but be revenue enforcement tax collectors and
when they wear that hat they deserve no respect
Ralphy says
How about spending that money on finding missing loved ones…are you guys serious…..but like always we get the short end of the stick…go ahead and lets keep paying for them to ride there dirt bikes…lucky for them…thats why i say f@ck the system..their the real crooks if you ask me…keep riding people.its a free country…
Aaron says
We have a training and self-regulating program in Wisconsin called “Trail Patrol”
Volunteers get a vest with extensive traing to patrol our trails and parks but not to harrass or ticket fellow riders, it is too help others understand the importance of following rules. The presence alone is a deterrent and reporting is sometimes needed but good communication is most often what changes the behavior. We are all trying to have a good time and helping one group understand how their behavior might cause a problem for others will plant a seed to hopefully prevent future problems. Trail patrol by your peers is often more acceptable when we can say “We’re not the badguys, we are helping you avoid a ticket and prevent this trail from being closed”
Bruce says
Guess you’ve never been nearly run down on your own property if you think its cool to trespass and or go anywhere your motorcycle will go. Unbelievable that folks disrespect signs or fences, whats this sense of entitlement?? For one thing you need to have permission to be on private property or its trespassing. Go far away from residential areas or at least go slow and don’t make new trails through this desert further eroding it. I just don’t understand the rudeness of some people. So don’t whine when you get busted being stupid!
Laughing says
To the folks complaining about this program,
Some are criminals using dirt bikes to deliver/get away.
I see a few ‘little kids’ comments – yes there are some kids, but most are not little kids, they are late teens to early 30s.
Fence in your property/post signs – you must own a small yard, not 20 plus acres. Signs often get run over, pulled down.
A little dust – some riders use vacant lots between homes and enjoy churning up the dust of a freshly disced lot, not caring about people trying to enjoy their own back yards, or the pets/livestock that have to breathe it.
Have you paid your tags for all of your OHV? That is where part of the funding comes from.
Terry L. Burr says
Off highway activity is fine with our family. We live way out on the west side. No paved streets. Do not waste money on policing off highway activity.
taxation is theft says
Exactly! This is a 100% waste of time and money. It’s the nutbag lonely old lady at the end of the road who complains about legal activities who calls 900 times all day long.
pay your taxes says
It’s the nut bag lonely old man that’s been bitter for decades because his wife left him. He calls 900 times all day long, complaining about legal activities.
Othelzer says
old people should be rounded up in senior centers so others can
have the same chance they did to live a little. if I seen a sheriff motorcycle
id challenge them to a race. I still got it baby
Ron says
They can watch out for people dumping trash. I was walking my dog once went out in the desert saw a guy in a car smoking crack.. People going out and dumping trash. Yes we could use our Sheriff to patrol the desert.
John says
The illegal dumping of trash in the Antelope Valley has gotten way out of hand. Something needs to be done to catch these people. I hope this Off-Highway enforcement program will help catch these fly tippers.
what is a victimless 'crime' ? says
“RON”………..The purpose of the OHV program has ZERO to do with ‘dumping trash’….do not mistake this for something that you want to happen.. 90% of the people who will be punished are little bobby down the street who wants to ride his go-cart or minibike in a field, instead you would rather him/her sit inside on the sofa watching video games and taking drugs. This is one of the reasons people move out in the desert, to recreate on bikes and quads…instead why don’t you be a part of the community and get a lic number off the supposed ‘dumper smoking crack’? oh, that’s too difficult for you to step up and do the right thing….why not just ruin a kids life and bankrupt his parents because you can’t handle a little dust once a month.
AV Biker says
Ask to see the statistics on the program. I did. There were a whole lot more than just OHV riders arrested in this program. Statistics over the past 5 years included many stolen vehicles recovered with arrests (including ATV and motorcycle), burglary suspects arrested, illegal dumping arrests, drug and weapons arrests to name some. I encourage you to seek out the statistics for this area from either the State Parks and Recreation grants unit or the Palmdale or Lancaster Sheriff’s stations.
Those of us who pay our OHV registration fees and actually research the hundreds of miles of legal riding do not mind this enforcement. I actually went to the Palmdale Sheriff’s station and got a map for free that showed the legal riding areas.
As an alternative, some of you can just complain about your tax dollars being wasted and not being able to ride wherever you want. One of the earlier posts mentioned the funds for this program are from the OHV registration fees. I found that to be true as well.
Mike says
Hey, if I was a Sheriff and had the choice of
A. Riding around on a dirt bike
Or
B. Dealing with gang bangers and drunks in East Palmdale
Guess which I’d prefer?
taxation is theft says
Mike, glad somebody actually said it – these guys want to joy ride around on bikes and get paid for it, instead of doing their actual job – one that involves going after crimes with a real victim.
TBundy says
$500 plus a day to ride around with your gang buddies and guns. Sounds like fun.
Keith says
Definitely a huge waste of resources. It’s not hurting anyone except for the old lady who has nothing better to do with her life but complain. How about the police focus on drugs and gangs. Maybe a murder case for once. Leave the riders alone.
taxation is theft says
Keith, agreed – this seems more like appeasing some old lady without a life who complains about legal activities and victimless crimes. obviously these cops would rather bust little bobby down the street instead of do their actual job, like investigate buglers, rape and violent crime.
Jordo says
What crimes are being committed? Please define, “high volume of ohv vehicle complaints”… Whatever those complaints are, is it worth spending tens of thousands of tax dollars per year on? No.
Malcolm Stewart says
Waste of money!! spend the money on real crime. This is waste of time!!!
taxation is theft says
Agreed, this is nothing but a money racket to rip people off, and waste the time of these ‘joy riders’ who could be going after real criminals ….like one where there is an actual victim instead of some nutbag old lady who complains about kids scaring birds.
Richard says
This is [removed]. All they’re going to do is harass us! They will be stopping us all over the place and writing us tickets for no reason. Do you want a ticket for going to fast on the back dirt road in the middle of nowhere? What if some newbie tries to get away? Is there going to be a high-speed chase through the desert? Are they going to surround you and shoot you because they think you have a gun? Will they be beating us up for answering them back like they do in the streets all over the place in America? Will they be searching our bags for no reason? Do not let this happen! Make cops stay in their cars at the campsites and patrol there! This is just an example of the liberals trying to take more freedoms away from us! It’s getting worse and worse and pretty soon this is going to be Nazi Germany.
Watcher says
Sounds like a fun job the funds are just sitting there why not….. have fun be safe and when your refueling in town and see real crime don’t forget to let the the real cops know..
So someone gets arrested. There are a lot of nurses now days selling opioid to our kids to supplement their income…. but heck riding dirt bikes sound fun and safe from reality.
Jasmine Owens says
Honestly, I hike up and down all the hills around us with my husband. We see allot of other people around also. Dirt bikers have never been an issue for us. Their tracks are barely noticeable and they are having fun and nobody is getting hurt. What DOES bother me, is all the trash. Bags of trash. Animals get into it and it’s just nasty.
As for private property… I never see signs saying “private property”. I am sure if the owners had an issue with hikers or riders, they would put a fence up.
I’m not too sure about this.