PARIS — Police are stepping up patrols of local gravel pits to discourage ATV riders from trespassing on private land. 

Paris police Chief Michael Madden said Tuesday that his department had received complaints from business owners that the number of ATV riders trekking through Gravel Pit Road on their way to the sand pits has increased. 

Madden said the practice presented a huge safety concern. He did not specify the number of patrols or when they would occur.

“I don’t want to see a kid on an ATV beneath a dump truck,” Madden said. 

Police have issued warnings and reiterated that repeat offenders can be arrested. 

Part of the problem, Madden said, is that the incidents occur during the week or after school when the pits are operated and heavy equipment is making its way down the road. 

“It’s a big problem for pit owners. If there’s an accident, the liability is on them,” he said.  

The problem surfaced in the past couple of months, and police suspect students getting out of school are behind the majority of the incidents. 

“It’s not a safe area for them to be. There are plenty of safe places in Maine,” he said.