Bike License Laws Have a Racial Profiling Problem
A New Jersey incident between police and teens on bicycles has rekindled the controversy over the discriminatory enforcement of bike registration policies.
Confiscated bicycles picked up by police in Colorado. While local bike registration laws are promoted as a safety measure, critics warn they are not enforced equitably.
Photographer: Matt Jonas/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images
A group of teenagers biked through Perth Amboy, New Jersey, popping wheelies and weaving through traffic on suburban streets until their ride was cut short by several police cars and a swarm of officers.
“You guys are supposed to have licenses,” one officer said. “If you guys continue to ride crazy on the streets, the police are going to take your bikes.”