Expand / Collapse search
☰

Tampa residents hope recent reckless biking arrests will send message to other bicyclists

By
Published  April 15, 2025 5:38pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

TPD cracks down on reckless cyclists on riverwalk

FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.

The Brief

    • Four bicyclists are facing charges after they were caught recklessly riding along the Tampa Riverwalk.
    • A Tampa police spokesperson said their helicopter was flying over the Riverwalk after responding to a different call and hearing the reports of reckless bicyclists.
    • Some long-time residents near the Riverwalk said this is a problem that has continued for several years.

TAMPA, Fla. - Four reckless bicyclists are facing charges for riding recklessly along the Tampa Riverwalk over the weekend, the Tampa Police Department said on Monday.

A Tampa police spokesperson said their helicopter was flying over the Riverwalk after responding to a different call and hearing the reports of reckless bicyclists. The officers were able to direct ground units to the suspects, one of whom had a gun, according to police.

RELATED: Four bicyclists arrested after recklessly riding through downtown Tampa, 1 caught with gun: Police

What they're saying:

"What they're doing is riding recklessly, they're obstructing traffic. What you don't see in the video is there are complaints of them also riding the wrong way on one-way streets," said Eddy Durkin, a TPD spokesperson. "We want people to enjoy the Riverwalk, enjoy the streets, and they should be able to do that safely. In this, they were putting people in danger, and we had to put a stop to it."

Why you should care:

Some long-time residents near the Riverwalk told FOX 13 this is a problem that has continued for several years.

"Somebody's going to get hurt one of these days, and it's not going to be good," said Merrell Dickey, who has lived near the Riverwalk for eight years.

Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

Dickey recorded video in 2023 of a group of teenagers on bicycles harassing pedestrians. He said he's called the police dozens of times. He believes the problem seemed to briefly improve but has gotten worse again.

"I just get off the sidewalk now, because I got tired of trying to confront it, because if you don't get off the sidewalk, they come right at you. They intentionally go at people and pop wheelies in their faces," Dickey said. "Young people want to have fun, but there's a time and a place, then the Riverwalk is not the time and the place for it."

What's next:

Police arrested four people during the weekend incident. Investigators are looking into where the bicyclist who was armed got his gun.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered using information from the Tampa Police Department and interviews with a Tampa resident. 

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

TampaCrime and Public Safety