Folsom Police Deploy Drones to Crack Down on Unsafe E-Bike and E-Motorcycle Riders

If you’ve been riding an e-bike or e-motorcycle around Folsom lately without following the rules, the Folsom Police Department just sent a message: they’re watching—and they’ve got aerial backup.

This week, the department wrapped up an enforcement operation that brought together marked patrol vehicles, unmarked cars, and a drone to spot riders breaking e-bike and e-motorcycle laws. The multi-pronged approach netted real consequences: eight citations, two towed e-motorcycles, and conversations with 19 riders who chose to learn about local regulations rather than face fines.

What makes this crackdown worth your attention isn’t the high-tech tactics—it’s what they reveal about a growing problem in the Sacramento area. E-bikes and e-motorcycles have exploded in popularity, but not everyone using them knows (or cares about) the rules governing their use. Two of the eight citations were specifically for operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license, suggesting that riders are treating these devices as toys rather than vehicles with legal requirements.

The Folsom Police Department framed the operation as a balance: education first, enforcement second.“Our goal is to ensure safe riding through education, but we will continue strict enforcement action when riders violate the law or operate in a manner that puts themselves or others at risk,”the department said in a social media statement. That’s the right message. But the fact that they felt the need to deploy drones and coordinate multiple teams tells you something about how serious the problem has become.

Here’s what riders should know: this wasn’t a one-time push. The Folsom Police Department promised additional enforcement operations throughout the summer, so if you’re planning to zip around Folsom on an e-bike or e-motorcycle, now’s the time to brush up on local regulations. The educational approach is still available—but the window for learning the easy way is closing fast.