Crime & Law
Cook County Forest Preserve Police Increasing Patrols After Bikers Harass Trail Users in Separate Incidents
(On the Run Photo / iStock)
Cook County forest preserve police will be increasing their patrols on trails after bikers harassed and assaulted other park visitors in a pair of separate incidents last weekend.
According to forest preserve officials, youths on bikes were reportedly riding into other people at Busse Woods in suburban Rolling Meadows and throwing objects at them including water bottles.
At LaBagh Woods on Chicago’s North Side, a group of men on motorbikes assaulted a 33-year-old man who had asked them to be quieter. They also hurled racial and homophobic slurs at the man, officials said.
The man turned down medical attention but did have a scrape on his hand, Carl Vogel, Cook County forest preserve spokesperson, told WTTW News via email.
In response to these situations, forest preserve police will be conducting bike and ATV patrols on trails at Busse Woods and LaBagh Woods, as well as carrying out more vehicle patrols, Vogel said.
A group of officers recently completed training on policing by bike, which will allow the preserves to add more patrols in the future, he said.
The forest preserve district posted the safety information on social media, prompting several people to complain about the uptick in motorized bikes on trails.
Per the preserves’ own regulations, only “class 1 and class 2 e-bikes, operated at speeds under 15 miles per hour, are allowed on all trails where bicycles are allowed, except single track mountain biking trails.”
All other motorized vehicles are prohibited. This includes class 3 e-bikes, which are capable of higher speeds than other e-bikes. No electric scooters, unicycles or hoverboards are allowed on trails, and neither are ATVs, motorbikes or motorcycles.
To report unlawful activity in the preserves, people should notify forest preserve police by calling 708-771-1000. Call 911 during an emergency.
Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]
