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Education first.

That's the approach law enforcement in the city of Tucson and Pima County is taking with all-terrain-vehicle enthusiasts who zip along where they're not supposed to ride.

East Side pedestrians, horseback riders and bicyclists using area washes say they are frequently finding their peace disturbed by the noise and dust of ATV riders.

Some riders use what was once state land, where riding is allowed with a permit, and don't realize the land has been annexed by the city, said Tucson Police Sgt. Bill Plummer, who has been working with residents and riders for several months to combat the problem.

"It's definitely an educational issue," he said. "There are a lot of areas where they could legally ride in the past, but you can't ride there anymore. We're trying to educate, and enforcement is being done, too."

Plummer said many riders are also ignorant of the city's ordinance prohibiting riding within a quarter-mile of houses and businesses.

The areas seeing the most problems — near Pantano Wash at Houghton Road and in the Mesquite Ranch area — have become more developed in recent years.

Plummer said officers have been educating ATV riders stopped for the first time, and then citing repeat offenders.

It's a daily challenge for Gloria St. Pierre, who owns Horse Haven Equestrian Center at 4885 S. Houghton Road.

"It's such a problem around horses," she said. "We could end up with people getting injured."

St. Pierre said she calls the police on a regular basis but said it's often in vain.

"For us, it's a waste of time because what can they do?" she said, explaining that the ATV rider is almost always gone by the time police arrive.

St. Pierre sympathizes with ATV riders, who have fewer and fewer options on where to ride. She said many are considerate of equestrians, pulling over and turning off their engines when a horse and rider go by.

But, "it's just one of those problems I don't see going away anytime soon," she said.

Plummer agrees there aren't very many places to ride without permission or without paying a fee, such as at the Pima Motorsports Park at 11700 South Harrison Road.

Randall Pierce, president of the Mesquite Ranch Neighborhood Association, said with the help of police and Tucson City Councilwoman Shirley Scott's office, a three-month community-awareness program is under way.

Fliers have been distributed, and signs have been posted on East Poorman and East Bilby roads about state-land use.

This month, Pierce said law enforcement is beginning to transition from educating ATV riders to more enforcement of related state laws and city ordinances.

"Mesquite Ranch has no problems with residents who enjoy the thrill of ATV riding, but our expectation is that those who do ride must do so in accordance with local and state laws," he wrote in an e-mail.

A wash runs through the Mesquite Ranch subdivision, Pierce said, and many residents walk and run along the footpaths and within the wash itself.

The ATVs are a safety concern, he said. He estimates the problem has resulted in one to four calls to police every week.

Andy Squire, an aide to Councilwoman Scott, said in addition to Tucson police, they have sought help from park rangers to educate people about the need for a permit to ride on state land.

Sgt. Joe DeCormis, who heads parks enforcement with the Pima County Sheriff's Department, said many ATV riders don't realize they are breaking the law.

In the county, it's illegal to use an ATV in a wash regardless of its proximity to buildings.

DeCormis said they occasionally patrol the washes.

"If they are repeat offenders, they are getting cited," he said. "Some of these areas are wide open with no fences and no signs and I can understand why people would be out there thinking, 'It's OK to ride.' "