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Police provide perspective to reports of teens terrorizing residents on scooters

Police said that while the teens have been annoying and potentially scary, for the most part, what they have been doing did not constitute a crime.
A Lime electric scooter parked on the street.

ATLANTA -- Police said they are aware of a group of teens has been reportedly terrorizing residents in parts of Buckhead and Midtown on Bird and Lime-type electric scooters.

Social media reports of these sorts of problems have been increasing in recent weeks.

11Alive News asked Atlanta Police earlier this week about reports of kids harassing people in Atlanta.

At the time, police said they did not see the scooters as part of an overall criminal trend.

RELATED | This is what Atlanta police, locals have to say about 'scooter-based' crime

On Friday, they came back and clarified their response, because mostly, what the teens were doing did not constitute a crime.

In many cases, police said, the interactions are annoying or potentially scary to those who encounter the teens, but do not rise to the level of being criminal.

Most of the reports were that the kids were doing things like yelling at people, riding too close to them, and riding through stores.

MORE | APD: Group rushed into Target on scooters, shouting expletives at shoppers

However, police said that in one case, an arrest warrant has been issued for a 16-year-old accused of assaulting a worker at a Jimmy John's carryout. That particular teen is charged with simple battery for the alleged assault.

Police said that in many cases, they have been unable to locate victims of those who have been terrorized by the teens on the scooters. They are encouraging the public to contact police when issues like this happen so that they have more to proceed on.

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