Terry Harris, who spearheaded the founding of the senior age group Changing Gears 17 years ago, told commissioners about an incident that occurred Thursday, May 2, that left members of the bike group feeling endangered.
“About 10:45 in the morning, 16 of our group were taking a break from their ride on the trail between Belmont and Sherman Avenues when a young man came along on a motorized vehicle … When he was told that his vehicle is not permitted on the bike trail, he responded with expletives and threatened to shoot people … The police were called, but the officer responding said because they are short-staffed, nothing will happen. This is not acceptable … my solution to it would be that police patrol cars drive down the trails regularly to ensure safety.”
Harris’ concerns were echoed by another Changing Gears member, Edith Trowbridge.
“I love the bike trail, and it’s one of the reasons I moved to Springfield. But now the four-wheelers are everywhere and are creating a real hazard,” she said. “Sooner or later, someone will be injured … It’s just a matter of time before somebody is hurt … something needs to happen.”
Mayor Rob Rue agreed and said city officials share the concerns of the bicycling enthusiasts, noting the problem has been a topic of discussion at city hall.
He also noted the city is actively recruiting additional police candidates to fill open staff positions.
Springfield Police Division Chief Allison Elliott offered reassurance that “we want to make sure we are protecting everyone … We are working closely with the park rangers so we do have some additional enforcement opportunities and assistance from them.”
In response to a question by the mayor about the ability to confiscate vehicles if they are in violation of city ordinances and state laws, the chief indicated they can, and police often find that the four-wheel vehicles have been stolen.
Elliott also said the department is in communication with the city of Dayton, which is looking at legislation to change the ways they can handle some similar situations.
Leann Castillo, director of the recently merged National Trails Parks and Recreation District and Clark County Parks District, said they are working closely with Springfield police to address the issue.
She recognized the police have assigned bicycle officers and supervisors who regularly are on the trails and said the expanded number of park rangers during the coming summer season will bolster their efforts.
“We are all working hard on how to solve this … but this is not a trail problem, not a park problem, or a Springfield problem. I recently put out a request to the Recreation and Park Association asking other communities what they did,” Castillo said. “A lot of the responses I got said ‘Tell us what you do when you find out.’ I hope the community knows we are we are all working hard on how to solve this, but it’s not going to be easy to solve.”
Rue closed the discussion by reiterating that police positions are available, and he encouraged interested community members to apply. Requirements and additional information on becoming a police officer with the city are available by visiting https://springfieldohio.gov/police-division-recruitment/.
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