DATE/TIME: Tuesday, February 27, 2023, at 9:00 a.m.
INCIDENT: OPERATION DUST DEVIL WEEK TEN STATS
During the tenth week of Operation Dust Devil, deputies patrolled Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley and Morongo. Deputies issued two California Vehicle Code citations, two California Penal Code Citations, made two arrests, towed one vehicle, and recovered one stolen vehicle.
The weekend brought winter weather conditions throughout the Inland Empire, desert, and mountain regions, covering 90% of the legal and illegal riding areas in snow.
On Sunday, deputies from Operation Dust Devil worked at the Fontana Speedway for the Pala 400 Nascar race. Deputies displayed a side by side used for enforcement and contacted approximately 2,500 attendees. Deputies passed out pamphlets and discussed legal riding areas and Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) safety. Both children and adults we able to take photos on the equipment and with the deputies.
Deputies also used the inclement weather to instruct a side-by-side safety class to Search and Rescue members in Morongo. The safety course allows search and rescue members the ability to improve skills and become certified to operate department owned OHV’s.
On December 17, 2022, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors authorized funding to assist with county-wide off highway vehicle enforcement. The funding allows the Sheriff’s Department to increase law enforcement services related to quality-of-life issues affecting the communities in our county.
Operation Dust Devil will take place over the next several months to encourage safe and responsible off highway vehicle operation, by way of education and enforcement throughout San Bernardino County.
Operation Dust Devil will focus on off highway vehicle operations throughout the county’s 20,105 sq. miles. The operation will include personnel from the Sheriff’s Off Highway Vehicle Team and various patrol stations. They will work with San Bernardino County Land Use Services/Code Enforcement, San Bernardino Park Services, Hesperia Park Services, US Forest Service, California State Parks, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Fish and Game, National Parks Service, BNSF Police, California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino Police Department, Rialto Police Department and Colton Police Department.
The goal of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Off Highway Vehicle Team is to contact off highway vehicle enthusiasts and educate them in the safe and proper use of their equipment, to include use of helmets, seat belts, and operating on designated off highway vehicle trails and open areas. Many enthusiasts are unaware of the locations of the legal and open off highway vehicle riding areas. The County of San Bernardino and Sheriff’s Department supports responsible and safe off highway vehicle use and encourages enthusiasts to use the below links to learn about and discover the legal off highway vehicle opportunities in the county. If you would like the team to assess a particular area regarding illegal riding, please email [email protected].
San Bernardino National Forest - OHV Riding & Camping (usda.gov)
Off-Highway Vehicles | Bureau of Land Management (blm.gov)
State Vehicular Recreation Areas (ca.gov)
Off Highway Vehicles – Parks (sbcounty.gov)
OHV Trails - Southern California Mountains Foundation
California Trail Map
Refer: Lieutenant Ryan Smith, Victor Valley Station
Phone No. (760) 552-6800
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
