Folsom police cited three juveniles and towed their electric motorcycles near Prospector Park on Thursday, Sept. 10, after a targeted enforcement operation prompted by community complaints about dangerous riding.

The Folsom Police Department's Problem Oriented Policing Team led the operation with help from the Criminal Investigations Division, Traffic Team and drone team, the Folsom Times reported. Officers contacted three juveniles who police said were illegally operating e-motorcycles in and around the park.

All three received citations. Their motorcycles were towed.

One juvenile fled from officers during the operation.

A police drone operator helped locate the juvenile at a nearby residence, and that juvenile was cited for criminal and traffic violations, according to the department.

The crackdown came one day after Police Chief Adam Green presented e-bike collision data to the Folsom City Council on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Green told the council that e-bike collisions doubled in 2025 compared with the previous two years, with juveniles involved in 72% of those crashes. Riders were at fault 70% of the time.

Green told the council Sept. 9 that officers have been "incredibly successful" at identifying juveniles who flee and issuing citations afterward, according to the Folsom Times' coverage of the meeting.

Folsom Parks and Recreation has spent more than $37,000 over the past six months repairing damage to turf fields, sports courts and grass attributed to improper e-bike use, Green told the council. That figure does not include the cost of heavy equipment used for repairs.

Parents warned of liability

Officers contacted the parents of all three juveniles cited Sept. 10 and reviewed California laws governing e-motorcycle operation. The department said parents were advised that knowingly allowing a child to unlawfully operate an e-motorcycle could result in criminal and civil liability.

The department stressed that e-motorcycles are not the same as legal e-bikes. E-motorcycles must be registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), riders must wear a U.S. Department of Transportation-approved helmet, and the vehicles cannot be operated on city trails. For street use, they must display a valid license plate.

Green told the council Sept. 9 that electric motorcycles can already be cited or towed under existing state vehicle laws, unlike legal e-bikes, which the city currently lacks clear authority to impound.

City Council weighing new e-bike rules

The enforcement operation fits into a broader city push to regulate electric conveyances. The council on Sept. 9 unanimously continued two proposed ordinances to a future meeting. Ordinance No. 1376 would establish new regulations for e-bikes and electric conveyances. Ordinance No. 1377 would prohibit unsafe riding on the Class I bicycle path network and enforce a 15-mph trail speed limit.

Council members directed staff to consolidate the two proposals into a single municipal code chapter with higher fines. The revised structure would set penalties at $100 for a first violation, $250 for a second and $500 for subsequent violations within one year.

No date has been set for the council to take up the revised ordinance. Residents seeking more information about e-motorcycle and e-bike rules can visit the City of Folsom website.