Perth Amboy police department is under fire after officers confiscated a group of teenagers’ bikes and arrested one of them over an alleged licensing offense.
“This is Perth Amboy, N.J. Are the police really arresting kids over bike registrations? Does it really require this many officers to address whatever situation this is?” Amol Sinha, the executive director of the ACLU New Jersey, tweeted. “Police CANNOT continue to be our response to EVERYTHING.”
Clips from the full 17-minute video, which was posted on YouTube on Saturday (April 17), show the teens riding BMX-style bicycles and popping wheelies in the road.
In one clip, police stop a group of about six bikers and accuse them of causing a disruption for incoming traffic.
The officers say the teens need license tags for their bikes, which is required in the city according to the Perth Amboy municipal ordinance.
“You guys are supposed to have licenses and all that kind of stuff,” one officer tells the group.
“Guys, we don’t make the rules. You guys know when there’s 30 or 40 of you together it creates a problem for people driving.”
The officer repeatedly said he would not take the teens’ bikes but give them a verbal warning instead.
However, the video then cuts to a Sergeant from the department who orders the other officers to confiscate the bikes.
The cops also handcuffed and detained one Black teenager after he gave up his bike.
The teen who was arrested can be heard saying that the group of bikers is not from Perth Amboy and was riding through the town, suggesting that they may not have been aware of the city’s licensing rule.
According to the YouTube video, police later returned the four bikes to the teens and released the arrested teenager from custody. It’s unclear if the teen was charged with any offenses.
The Middlesex County Prosecutors office is investigating the incident.
“Every juvenile being taken into custody by law enforcement in Middlesex County is of the utmost concern to Prosecutor (Yolanda) Ciccone and this young person is no different,” Ciccone said in a statement. “What occurred before, during and after the incident depicted is under review.”
