Spokane Police Report 77 Infractions During July Motorcycle-Safety Emphasis

The Spokane Police Department reported 77 traffic infractions during a three-day July motorcycle-safety emphasis, including 52 speeding citations, seven motorcycle stops and one motorcycle impound.

SPD published the results in a July 28, 2026, update after its Traffic Unit participated in the statewide operation coordinated by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. The department said officers also cited drivers for no insurance, electronic-device use and driving with a suspended license. Multiple arrests were made on outstanding warrants, but SPD did not provide a total.

What Spokane police reported

SPD said its Traffic Unit issued 77 infractions over the three-day emphasis. Speeding was the primary reason for police contacts, accounting for 52 citations.

The department separately reported that officers stopped seven motorcycles for traffic violations. One of those contacts resulted in an impound. The figures do not show that all 77 infractions involved motorcycles.

SPD also listed citations for no insurance, use of electronic devices and driving with a suspended license. The reported figures describe enforcement activity during this specific operation; they do not by themselves establish that motorcycle crashes or violations increased across Spokane.

Recent electric-motorcycle response

The enforcement update followed a July 18 response at Spokane’s Southside Sports Complex. SPD said callers reported that 15 to 20 juveniles were riding electric motorcycles through the complex around noon. When officers arrived, the group scattered.

Officers later located about eight children ages 8 to 14. SPD said the event had been promoted on social media and that some of the children had traveled by electric motorcycle from Spokane Valley. Parents were called to take custody of the children and their electric motorcycles, according to the department.

SPD described the response as an opportunity to educate the children and parents about Washington’s electric-motorcycle laws and the risks of using the vehicles improperly. The police report does not establish criminal wrongdoing by every rider involved.

Why motorcycle safety was emphasized

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission says its motorcycle-safety work focuses on improving riding skills, raising awareness of safe behavior and reducing crashes that cause serious injuries and fatalities. SPD said the July emphasis was intended to reduce vehicle collisions through education, awareness and enforcement.

Spokane officials and schools have also been warning families about the difference between electric bicycles and electric motorcycles, where the vehicles may be used, yielding to pedestrians and traffic, helmets and speed. The Spokesman-Review reported in June that Spokane police, Spokane Public Schools and the city parks department had worked together on those safety messages.

For drivers, riders, parents and pedestrians, the local takeaway is practical: watch for motorcycles, check blind spots and follow applicable traffic rules. Parents of young riders should also understand whether a vehicle is legally an electric bicycle or a motorcycle and what licensing and endorsement requirements apply.

The 77 infractions are a snapshot of Spokane police activity during the completed July 2026 emphasis. They are not a broader trend analysis of motorcycle or electric-motorcycle safety in the city.

Sources

• Spokane Police Department enforcement results
• Washington Traffic Safety Commission motorcycle-safety guidance
• The Spokesman-Review reporting on e-riding safety