Nearly 50 cited after Henderson police campaign on e-dirt bikes

Nearly 100 vehicles were pulled over during a recent multiday enforcement campaign targeting illegal electric bicycle and e-motorcycle use in Henderson, police said Monday.

Speaking to reporters during a briefing at Anthem Hills Park, near Anthem Parkway and Reunion Drive, Henderson Police Department Capt. Seth Van Beveren said the enhanced enforcement ran from Dec. 2 to Friday and was meant to target “reckless” behavior on the types of e-devices popular with local teens and youths.

Overall, Henderson police made 97 vehicle stops; 50 resulted in warnings and 47 in citations, with all but one of those being for operating an unregistered vehicle, Van Beveren said. One ticket was issued for reckless driving, and 14 e-motorcycles, which Van Beveren also referred to as e-dirt bikes, were impounded, he added.

“The campaign was primarily focused on middle school and high school riders,” Van Beveren said. “Our traffic teams, with the help of patrol, focused on school zones, parks and areas with heavy traffic.”

As opposed to lower-powered e-bikes or e-scooters, the city defines e-motorcycles as devices that have a throttle, no pedals and are capable of traveling over 28 mph. E-bikes and e-scooters are limited to 15 mph on city parks, trails and roadways.

Compared with street-legal electrified motorcycles, which Van Beveren noted come equipped with headlights and tail lights and can be registered through the state and insured, this enforcement campaign was aimed particularly at dirt bike-style devices.

“The e-motorcycles that are e-dirt bikes that do not have pedals and have pegs … they are illegal to ride on our roadways, sidewalks, parks, trails — they can’t be here,” Van Beveren said.

Enforcement not over

Van Beveren said the briefing was held at Anthem Hills park because it’s a common spot to see kids riding e-dirt bikes. Officers also stepped up enforcement at parks in the Inspirada master-planned community and near the Black Mountain area, Van Beveren said.

“While this campaign is over, the city of Henderson will continue to help educate our community about the differences and dangers of e-bike and e-motorcycles within the community,” Van Beveren said, alluding to more targeted enforcement operations in the future. “This is not a one-time thing.”

Van Beveren also had a message for operators of those devices.

“We do want to drive home to each and every one of you, to ride smart and to stay safe,” Van Beveren said.

Henderson police this year have responded to 51 crashes involving e-bikes, Van Beveren said, up from the 25 in 2024. The rise in crashes helped spark the need for increased enforcement, Van Beveren said.

Many of the cyclists who were pulled over and issued a warning, and all of the citations that were issued were given to e-dirt bike users, Van Beveren said. And as residents gear up for the holiday season, Van Beveren said he urges parents to learn the difference between e-devices.

But, above all else, Van Beveren said parents should make sure their child is ready to use the roadway if they’re asking for an e-bike or e-scooter.

“E-bicycles and e-scooters still have to follow all the rules of the roadway,” Van Beveren said. “So if your children aren’t prepared for that, they’re not of a maturity level yet — they’re not of a maturity level yet because all children are different — then they should not be out there on these devices.”

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.