Lacey And State Police To Crack Down On Off-Road Vehicles In Woods

Thinking about bringing your ATV or off-road vehicles to Southern Ocean County anytime soon?

Think again.

The Lacey, Ocean Township and Barnegat police departments, along with the New Jersey State Police will do their best through Memorial Day to keep off-road vehicles out of the Lacey, Barnegat and Ocean Township woods.

The enhanced enforcement comes after a series of dangerous incidents, Lacey Police Chief David A. Paprota said.

"The details will begin this weekend and continue through Memorial Day to reduce very serious injuries and offenses that have been occuring," Paprota said.

Recently a 20-year-old man broke his neck when the truck he was a passenger in went airborne into trees and flipped over while he and his friends were trespassing on private property, the chief said.

Another recent incident involved an elderly property owner who fired a gun because he was afraid of a vehicle attempting to come near his home from a wooded area, Paprota said.

"The issue of off-road vehicles in the wooded areas is not a simple matter of trespassing, as it has been a significant public safety concern with some of the most serious criminal offenses occurring in the woods west of the Garden State Parkway," the chief said. "The details are scheduled in response to repeated problems with ATVs, dirt bikes and vehicles operating on private property."

Another goal is to keep the influx of people from North Jersey, other counties and even other states out of the area, the chief said.

The groups bring trailers full of off-road vehicles along the power lines and areas in the western section of Lacey, so the State Police are participating, he said.

The police details are designed to turn the trucks and trailers away before they can enter the power lines or other private property. Violators will be turned away and advised of the restrictions, while those found in violation will be charged with the applicable offenses.

Violators often park their trailers in various areas throughout the woods west of the parkway and in Ocean Township along Route 532. The area covers over a 100-square-mile area between Waretown and Forked River. The problem does tend to center on several areas in Lacey Township long used for camping and riding, Paprota said.

Social media and websites compound the problem by profiling the area as a place to ride, he said.

"In the past, people have traveled from as far away as Ohio, Maryland, and Connecticut to camp overnight and ride in Lacey Township," the chief said.

Much of the 60 square miles west of the Garden State Parkway is private property, which means the individual ATV operator would need to written permission from the specific property owner to ride on the property.

State Forest Fire Service officials are also concerned about the dense growth and unusually dry conditions, which make enforcement more important than ever, Paprota said.

Photo credit: Gander Mountain