LACEY-WARETOWN – Don’t drive your all-terrain vehicles in restricted areas. That is the message that the County Sheriff’s Office wants to get out and there will be heightened off road enforcement patrols conducted this weekend.
Due to an increase in hazardous conditions and growing concerns on Ocean County open space properties, the Sheriff’s Office will join with police departments in Lacey and Ocean townships in a weekend off-road enforcement detail that will be operating between Lacey and Wells Mills roads.
Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy said, “use of all-terrain vehicles and other vehicles like dirt bikes are restricted from use on state, county, municipal and private properties without written consent from the owner.
“Not only are these drivers destroying natural lands but many are getting hurt in doing so. Getting to injured people in our wooded areas also causes hazardous conditions for our law enforcement and emergency medical services personnel responding,” he added.
Mastronardy said an increase in safety concerns in the past week have been brought to his attention by Lacey Police Chief Christopher Kenny and Township of Ocean (Waretown) Police Chief Michael Rogalski.
The Sheriff noted that off-roaders have previously, been notified by law enforcement that they are not allowed on most open space and protected properties.
Both townships are home to thousands of acres of land preserved under Ocean County’s Natural Lands Trust Fund program including the Forked River Mountains.
Ocean County Commissioner Virginia E. Haines reported, “’we are urging residents and visitors to obey the rules and stay off the preserved and protected properties.”
Haines, who is liaison to the county’s open space program, added, “the properties are posted. We appreciate the efforts of the Sheriff’s Department and the local police departments to help us protect not just property but also public safety.”
