What the Hell Is Going On in Trenton? Dirt Bikes, Lawlessness, and Failed Leadership By Daryl M.Brooks
Trenton, New Jersey a city with a proud history, resilient people, and a deep cultural legacy is now being overrun by chaos on wheels. Dirt bikes and ATVs, blatantly illegal on city streets, have turned our neighborhoods into racetracks. These riders show no regard for traffic laws, safety, or the people they endanger. They weave through traffic, do wheelies in the middle of downtown, and speed through intersections without helmets, licenses, or fear of consequences. The question every law-abiding resident is asking is simple: What the hell is wrong with the leadership of this city?
The Trenton Police Department, City Council, and Mayor have failed us. Period. They’ve turned a blind eye to a growing epidemic that is not only dangerous but illegal. Dirt bikes are not street-legal, and helmets are mandatory under New Jersey law for motorcycles. Yet in Trenton, it seems these laws don’t apply. Go downtown on any weekend especially Saturday or Sunday night and you’ll witness what looks like an outlaw biker parade with no fear of arrest or enforcement. This is lawlessness, and it is being tolerated, even encouraged, by those elected to protect and serve.
But it’s not just the dirt bikes. On weekends, especially on Saturdays and Sundays in front of City Hall yes, City Hall lyou’ll find teenagers as young as 13, 14, 15, and 16 out at 11 p.m., midnight, 1 a.m., fighting in the streets, causing mayhem, disrespecting the city and its residents. One young person has already lost their life right there on the 200 block, directly in front of where our city’s leaders are supposed to work. What in God’s name is going on in Trenton? Has this city lost its mind? Is this the kind of leadership the people of Trenton voted for? Because what we’re witnessing is a complete breakdown of authority, morality, and basic public order.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” In Trenton, our leaders have chosen darkness. They’ve chosen silence, cowardice, and neglect. They’ve allowed dirt bikes to become a symbol of anarchy and allowed teenagers to rule the streets like it’s The Purge. We are watching the total collapse of responsibility and accountability. Dr. King spoke out against weak leaders who refused to stand for what was right and so must we.
The consequences are real. A Rutgers study confirmed that off-road vehicles like dirt bikes cause traumatic injuries and are used recklessly by young riders who don’t even wear helmets. And yet, these vehicles are out every night, zipping past police cars that don’t lift a finger. Meanwhile, the youth of this city are being lost not just physically, but intellectually. We have high school graduates in Trenton reading at a third-grade level. That is educational malpractice. And this administration Mayor Reed Gusciora, the City Council, the school board has accepted it as normal. This isn’t leadership; this is abandonment.
What we are witnessing is the product of 30 years of Democratic failure in Trenton. The same recycled political names. The same broken promises. The same refusal to confront crime, poverty, education, or the erosion of our culture. And now we have leaders more worried about their next election than your child’s safety. Where is the reasonable nightlife? Where are the safe spaces for youth? Where is the plan for economic development, literacy, and family support? There is none. Just chaos, dirt bikes, gunshots, and silence.
The people of Trenton deserve better and we must stop accepting crumbs and calling it cake. We need bold leadership that loves this city enough to defend it. We need police officers who act instead of observe. We need elected officials who stand for the people, not their political careers. And we need a community that says: “No more.” No more dirt bikes terrorizing families. No more kids dying in the street. No more illiteracy and excuses. No more failure. It’s time to clean house. And it starts with calling out the names and holding them accountable because silence is betrayal, and Trenton is tired of being betrayed.