Atlantic City Councilman Calls for Review of Police ATV Use on Boardwalk After Crash

ATLANTIC CITY — Atlantic City Councilman Jesse O. Kurtz is calling for a review of how police ATVs are used on the Boardwalk following a recent crash involving two police-operated all-terrain vehicles that injured pedestrians.

Speaking on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, Kurtz said the incident should serve as a learning opportunity for the city and prompt a closer look at when and where ATVs are deployed.

"I think this is a wake-up call," Kurtz said.

While emphasizing that he has no inside knowledge of the ongoing investigation, Kurtz said his comments were based on publicly available video of the incident and his own observations from spending time on the Boardwalk.

The councilman questioned why two police ATVs were operating in a heavily crowded section of the Boardwalk at the time of the crash.

"I'm going to ask the question, why is the ATV—not just one, but two—on the Boardwalk to begin with?" Kurtz said. "Normally they're mixed into a patrol that's on the beach... but why is it on the Boardwalk in an area that's very crowded?"

Kurtz acknowledged officers may have been responding to an emergency that was not visible in the widely circulated video but said the city should evaluate whether ATVs are appropriate in congested pedestrian areas.

"I think people need to be trained off of this, and we need to get the idea that ATVs really should not be in crowded areas of the Boardwalk," he said.

He also expressed concern about ATVs operating too close to beachgoers on the sand, saying the crash should reinforce the importance of maintaining safe distances from pedestrians whenever the vehicles are in use.

Beyond ATVs, Kurtz said he believes the city should reconsider the presence of larger vehicles on the historic Boardwalk altogether.

He said he frequently sees police cruisers, pickup trucks and other municipal vehicles using the Boardwalk and argued they should be limited whenever possible.

"There should be a special set of vehicles exclusively that are used on the Boardwalk," Kurtz said. "We need to strictly have only smaller-sized vehicles up on the Boardwalk."

Kurtz noted that concerns over the Boardwalk's structural integrity have previously limited the types of vehicles permitted during special events, including parades, and said the same philosophy should guide everyday operations.

The councilman said emergency situations may occasionally require larger vehicles, but he believes their routine use should be minimized for both public safety and to reduce wear on the Boardwalk.

Kurtz made the comments during an interview with Scott Cronick on Off The Press with Scott Cronick, which airs weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.