South Florida law enforcement is ready for reckless ‘Wheels Up, Guns Down’ pilots

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Law enforcement in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are on high alert ahead of the annual “Wheels Up, Guns Down” trip.

Every year, quad and dirt bike riders took to the streets and roads of South Florida illegally during the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. Monday’s “Wheels Up, Guns Down” event is for cyclists only.

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said his agency will be prepared and “will carry out a zero-tolerance operation, as this event is not sanctioned, it is illegal and it is a threat to public safety.”

Tony, however, said he was not convinced by what organizers said was the purpose of the trip.

“When we execute our traffic offenses, we always find a weapon here and therefore there is some hypocrisy around these activities, not only in how they are supposed to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, but in the name they are in. I titled their own event, “he said.

In recent years, videos of riders mocking outnumbered police officers have gone viral on social media.

“It’s useless to run away from us because with the amount of planes and resources we have in the sky, you won’t get out of it,” FHP Major Robert Chandler said Thursday during a press conference in Broward.

Chandler also advised other drivers not to participate with the drivers. “We know where these groups are, we’ll do it; please don’t take things for granted,” Chandler said.

Miami-Dade police also held a press conference Thursday with the Florida Highway Patrol and said officers tow dozens of all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes each year.

“Getting a ticket or stopping and having your vehicle confiscated is expensive and there is no way to enjoy a holiday weekend,” one soldier said.

In 2008, a new law required motorcyclists to “keep both wheels on the ground at all times.”

Florida law also requires ATV riders to wear ankle boots, eye protection and a safety helmet.

“We’ll do a high-visibility patrol and do the enforcement,” Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez said.