‘No city policy can replace active parenting’: Minibikes catching the ire of Nebraska police, neighbors

Kids are ripping through some Nebraska neighborhoods on a new set of hot wheels: minibikes.

And it’s causing more calls and complaints to police departments throughout the state. A central Nebraska city has even moved to create a new law that allows police to impound bikes or similar devices if they’re causing a public safety concern.

Minibikes are a relatively new – and much faster – mode of transportation compared to regular bicycles. They’re becoming much more affordable and easy to acquire.

Minibikes have a very similar appearance and operation to dirt bikes, but some are electric, instead of gasoline-powered. And while regular dirt bikes run for a few thousand dollars and require licensing to be on the road, kids can get their hands on minibikes – or motorbikes – with just a few hundred dollars and a trip to a big box store.

But they’re still not allowed on city streets or bike paths, and police departments are trying to raise awareness about the issues they’re causing. Some of the bikes can reach speeds up to 20 or 30 mph, putting them up against the speed of cars driving through neighborhoods. Most cities only allow minibikes to be driven on private property or at designated dirt bike parks.

The Ord City Council on Monday adopted a new ordinance, drafted by the Ord Police Department and the city attorney, to impound bikes, electric scooters and similar devices to “resolve immediate public safety hazards.” The Ord Police Department said in a social media post that the new city law “directly responds to numerous resident complaints and police calls regarding juveniles riding bicycles and electric scooters unsafely.” It goes into effect next week.

Other departments have been amplifying awareness about the dangers and disruptions the bikes can bring. The Lincoln Police Department teamed up with Lincoln Fire and Rescue to create a social media video that talks about the illegal use of minibikes in the roadways and the path of destruction they’re leaving in public areas.

“We’ve heard your complaints, and we’re seeing first hand more dangerous riding behavior, crashes and injuries across Lincoln,” Police Chief Michon Morrow said. “Kids are also riding minibikes illegally on our streets, sidewalks, trails and school property, unfortunately, leading to damage.”

Fire Chief Dave Engler said Lincoln Fire & Rescue responded to 35 e-bike or scooter crashes in 2025, but this year, they had already responded to 15 by mid-May – nearly double last year’s pace.

In Omaha, emergency crews are spending more time responding to crashes involving kids on minibikes. Several April crashes in the span of a week in the metro area involved three children who were injured when either falling off their bikes or colliding with another vehicle.

Complaints about minibikes and motorbikes on Lincoln’s city property tripled between April and May, compared to the same time last year. The Lincoln Police Department recorded 27 calls about them between April 1 and May 24. The department only received nine similar calls during that time in 2025.

Most of the reports filed with the Lincoln Police Department reported kids between the ages of 10 to 17 years old flying through residential roads, bike paths and parking garages. A common complaint was that the kids were also doing unsafe “wheelies.”

Messages from several Nebraska police departments are trying to educate parents about the illegality of minibikes on city property, but they’re also offering this piece of advice: parents should be more vigilant of how their kids are using the bikes.

The La Vista Police Department wrote in a social media post that police have the option to impound misused bikes but want to work with parents first.

The Ord Police Department had a similar message when letting people know about the new ordinance Tuesday morning: “While local laws provide necessary boundaries, no city policy can replace active parenting. We ask all parents to ensure their children are properly trained and fully understand the rules of the road before riding.”