LAGUNA BEACH — Laguna Beach police are looking for motorcyclists who disrupted traffic on Sunday by disobeying traffic laws and impairing public safety, police said.
The incident was reported at 10:50 a.m. on Sunday, April 15, when the police department began receiving calls from motorists about the unruly behavior by the motorcycle riders.
Officers responded to the area of Mission Hospital-Laguna Beach after reports of more than 75 motorcyclists in the area, some doing “wheelies” and riding on the wrong side of the roadway on Coast Highway, said Sgt. Jim Cota.
One of the officers tried to stop a motorcyclist doing a wheelie near Cleo Street and Coast Highway but the motorcycle rider did not yield.
“A slow speed pursuit ensued until Emerald Bay when speeds picked up into Corona Del Mar where the pursuit was ultimately terminated,” Cota said.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter  “Duke” monitored from the sky. Officers were able to get several license plates from the large group and further investigation will take place in order to identify the main suspect and pursue prosecution, Cota said.
The group of riders had organized on Facebook and road a mix of street and dirt bikes, Cota said.
The behavior is just what Councilwoman Toni Iseman does not want to see in town. Recently, in her state of the city address in February, she suggested that the noise ordinance be enforced in Laguna Beach.
“Motorcycles come into town and infringe on our life,” Iseman said. “They rev their motors with all the people on the sidewalks and make the car alarms go off. It’s a good time for them but not for us. I would like aggressive enforcement so that they tiptoe through Laguna.”
Sunday’s incident is another example of where she’d like to see more enforcement.
“It’s outrageous,” Iseman said. “We want people to get tickets that do this and make sure they don’t want to come back to town. It’s adolescent acting out. There are plenty of places they can go play in the park.”
The City Council on Tuesday is expected to get a report from City Manager John Pietig on ideas to improve traffic in town. Pietig will discuss items submitted by Iseman when she was mayor in 2017.
Items to be discussed include ways to reduce traffic congestion caused by delivery trucks by increased enforcement and limiting hours of delivery, graduated fines to match violations, restrictions on trucks engaged in residential construction issues and possible elimination of left turns on Coast Highway without a designated turn pocket.