O.C. e-bike buyback nets hundreds of vehicles, drawing big crowds and some controversy
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Set us as preferred Orange County authorities this week touted the success of a novel effort to get e-bikes — which they have characterized as a dangerous and deadly weapon — off the streets.The Orange County district attorney’s office on Sunday held an e-bike buyback event modeled after gun buyback programs, in which people could trade an e-bike for a gift card ranging from $200 to $1,000 depending on the type of e-bike surrendered.
The event, which authorities believe is the first of its kind in the U.S., drew both massive lines and criticism from some people online.“We budgeted over $100,000 for this [and] we didn’t think in our wildest dreams we would hit that number,” said Dist.Atty.
Todd Spitzer.Kimberly Edds, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office whom Spitzer credited with coming up with the concept, estimated that nearly 1,000 vehicles — including e-bikes, e-scooters and e-motorcycles — were surrendered in total, filling up nine 26-foot U-Haul trucks.
Even after authorities ran out of gift cards, people continued giving up their e-bikes, she said.The office intends to have an environmental contractor remove the lithium batteries, which it says will be properly disposed of.The bikes will then be taken to a recycling center and shredded, according to Edds.
The first person in line arrived at midnight Sunday, according to Spitzer, and the last gift card of the day went to a father-son duo who told him they began waiting in line at 7:30 a.m.The event started at 10 a.m., and the first 75 participants got a pair of tickets to a Los Angeles Angels baseball game.
The gift cards were paid for with asset forfeiture funds reserved for crime prevention.Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley contributed another $5,000.
The program was the subject of some online criticism, including that it was a w...