Be careful what and how you ride in New York:

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2022/06/22/nypd-demolishes-illegal-motorbikes-atvs-orig-aw.cnn

What a waste.

They could easily sell them at a low price to places where they are legal or could be made legal.  But I guess the destruction drama is easier.

What an interesting public works program that could have been. Sell them off for $100 each, with the caveat that the new owner has 6 months to make it road legal and can't sell it for a year after that. Imagine low income areas that would benefit from something like that. The vast majority seen in the video appeared to be scooter types...

A waste of functional machinery, and a couple in there that I wouldn't mind owning.
However, selling confiscated stuff has issues and costs involved, so it may even have been the cheapest thing to do.
It won't change a thing as the "miscreants" will just acquire more bikes and carry on as before.

There were videos of perfectly good cars drained of oil, silica added to the crankcase and run at high idle until the engine seized - required for cars turned in for the cash for clunkers program.  Many of the cars looked to be in good shape and quite a few were better than what I was driving back then. 
Seeing these engines intentionally destroyed was hard to watch. Many/ most of the motorcycles in the New York crushing event looked to be decent street bikes.
When one considers the resources used in building the cars and motorcycles intentionally destroying them is not environmentally rational.

Seeing these engines intentionally destroyed was hard to watch. Many/ most of the motorcycles in the New York crushing event looked to be decent street bikes.

That is what I noticed too. It wasn't a sea of dirt/mini bikes or quads.  Most looked like regular street bikes, probably just had illegal mufflers and hacked lighting or plate holders.  Easily corrected.