San Bernardino County Sheriff enforces OHV laws with own fleet of OHV’s

Off-highway vehicles (OHV) are a popular pastime in the hi-desert, and with the amount of rural properties and dirt roads around here, sometimes that activity can become a nuisance to property owners who want to keep their private land separate from the open riding that is permitted on OHV-sanctioned public lands.

On last Friday’s (June 26) episode of the Z107.7 Up Close Show, host Gary Daigneault spoke with Captain Steve Scovel of the Sheriff’s Morongo Basin Station, and he asked asked the Captain about how the Sheriff’s Department enforces OHV laws, and how they can keep up with dirt bikes that can quickly disappear into the open desert with a twist of the wrist.

“What some people don’t know is we have our own fleet of off-highway vehicles, Razors, dirt bikes, we have a sand car, so we’re out there basically looking for people that are riding where they’re not supposed to be riding or doing things they’re not supposed to be doing. We did recover a few stolen vehicles, guns, drugs, just anything you could imagine during those operations.

“Realistically with the off-highway community if they’re legitimately just out there to have fun they know what they’re not supposed to be doing and what they are supposed to be doing. A few of these outliers just don’t care about the rules. The majority of it is riding on streets because without a plate, proper lighting and everything. You can’t ride an off-highway vehicle on public roadways.”

Captain Scovel offered advice for local property owners who have off-roaders on their private land.

“It is good to have no trespassing signs posted. People may not know that are riding that it is someone else’s private property. If somebody is on your property riding off-highway vehicles and they are trespassing community can feel free to call us out and we will deal with it.”

You can hear their full conversation by listening to the Z107.7 Up Close Show as a podcast below.