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Swarming dirt bike riders causing havoc on Auckland roads will be a target of police this long weekend.
A special squad will be using the Eagle helicopter as well as traffic and survelliance cameras to crack down on the riders, who use social media to organise street gatherings that often intimidate other drivers.
Police fear someone could be killed and are appealing for people to help them trace the motorbikes.
Counties Manukau area commander Inspector Rod Honan said the riders were completely reckless.
"They're swarming in large numbers driving dangerously and disrupting our traffic in Tāmaki Makaurau.
"So the things we're seeing are wheelstands, doing donuts and skids, blocking roads, just really disruptive to all our roads and completely unsafe."
A screenshot of people riding dirt bikes along Fanshawe Street in central Auckland on 31 December, 2021. Photo: Coopersgrl / Reddit
He said it was intimidating for other motorists and whenever it happened they received many calls from dismayed observers.
Police took the incidents seriously and the investigation team would be on the lookout for any disruptive behaviour this weekend.
The riders often travelled "in swarms" after organising their get-togethers on social media. Riders were coming together from all parts of the Counties-Manukau district, Inspector Honan said.
While some wore safety gear others would ride in shorts, singlets and beanie "which is clearly not a safe thing to do".
He had this advice for riders: Don't do it; it was unsafe both for them and other road users.
He was worried someone could end up dead or badly injured so it was important to focus on prevention before anything too serious happened.
While dirt bike riders could head easily in several directions, the police had the use of the Eagle helicopter's
high-tech camera system which enabled them to track the riders.
He appealed to members of the public to get in touch if they knew where dirt bikes were being stored so that police could get them off the road.