I have posted a couple of times (here and here) on my website about the recent spate of motorcycle crimes in our constituency, detailing some of the work I have been doing on the issue in conjunction with Council Leader, Cllr Roger Ramsey and London Assembly Member, Keith Prince, who is elected to hold the Mayor and Met to account on operational policing issues.

I shall be seeing the Borough Commander later this week and have raised residents' concerns in parliament, asking whether we could have a debate on police powers to tackle this kind of crime. I have also taken the matter to Met Commissioner, Cressida Dick, asking whether she feels her officers have the powers they require to crackdown on the horrible crimes we have seen. I have pasted below the reply I received for residents' information, which also includes a whole list of actions the Met are taking to tackle perpetrators:

Hi Julia,

In regards to your question re legislative changes - whilst it true that London and indeed many other cities are seeing an increase in the use of scooters and motorcycles to commit a range of crimes, we are confident that sufficient legislation and policies exist to enable officers to combat it.  Pursuit of any kind carries risk, and pursuit of powered two-wheelers additionally so.  That is why the MPS follows national guidance and only suitably qualified pursuit trained officers are authorised to pursue such vehicles. 

These officers are supported by highly trained tactical advisers and a senior officer has overall decision-making responsibility on whether or not a pursuit should continue, balancing the risk to the rider, other road users and the officers engaged in the pursuit.  The pursuit of scooters and motorcycles remains an approved tactic within MPS and national guidelines.

Below is some information regarding the work we are doing (Operation Venice) that you may find useful. This includes details re our publicity campaign and working with industry partners.

If you require any more information re this, or any other issue please do not hesitate to come back to us.

Kind regards

Sam

Samantha Macleod | Commissioner’s External Relations Team

The Metropolitan Police Service is working hard to keep the public safe and make the streets hostile territory for criminals who steal scooters, motorbikes, mopeds, and bicycles to snatch valuables from members of the public.

We are committed to taking every opportunity to divert, disrupt, detect and prosecute those involved in scooter, moped, and motor cycle related criminality.

This is particularly done in a coordinated approach under Operation Venice whose officers conduct targeted operations throughout London and through intelligence-led investigations and operations to prevent and detect moped theft.

This includes:

All 29 borough/BCU’s have a nominated Venice lead - All have been sent links to key documents including

Op Venice Strategy

Toolkit of tactical options

Range of best practice including information, checklists, FAQ’s,

Crime prevention products so that everyone has the same core information

• raids on individuals suspected of stealing scooters, motorcycles and mopeds and using them to commit crimes
• DNA capture
• mass checks on stationary and moving scooters, motorcycles and mopeds
• high visibility patrols in key areas and increased street searches for stolen scooters and motorcycles
• Automatic Number Plate Reader deployments
• Each borough has been mobilised to tackle these offences under the Op Venice model
• Local policing teams to use local knowledge to attend, locations, events and other forums to reach all communities and provide reassurance messages & the ability for communities to communicate directly with local officers to enhance the intelligence picture.

We are also:
Reducing the opportunities to take the vehicles in the first place through a combination of approaches
• Making owners aware of what they can do about reducing the thefts
• working with industry and councils to protect or design the theft options out of the vehicles

Reducing the ability of the offenders to use the vehicles in crime
• Concentrated deployments around high crime areas
• Improved methods for police to engage with scooters to stop them committing offences
• Working with agencies to design out road systems / alleyways that make escape better

Improving public awareness and protection when offenders use these mopeds to commit crime:
• Concentrated media campaigns for public awareness focusing on distinct victim groups – commuter / school and college pupils / local community / Night time economy users
• Getting business and council support for consistent message to commuters / NTE venues re the risk

Removing the markets for these offenders to dispose of their goods:
• Engagement with 2nd hand phone shops, markets, scooter dealers, garages to improve intelligence and remove locations that will buy the stolen property

Bringing offenders to justice / Influencing the offenders reasons for committing these offences
• Using intelligence and CCTV to identify linked offences and bring offenders to justice
• Proactive stance with sting vehicles, targeted operations, focus on criminal cohort to reduce high volume offenders
• Improve with Youth Services and 3rd sector groups the diversion opportunities for the young offenders involved as arresting them continuously will not work

Working with industry partners
Op Venice is also working with industry partners and dealerships to introduce security awareness at the point of purchase of a scooter. Compulsory Basic Training providers, who run scooter training courses, will help promote security messages during training sessions. Industry, councils, partners, insurers and manufacturers will increase security awareness and work towards longer term solutions to make scooters harder to steal.

Publicity campaign
On Friday 23 June, Commissioner Cressida Dick launched our publicity campaign, which supports the policing by encouraging riders to layer up their security to reduce their vulnerability to thieves, focussing primarily on scooter riders, who are less likely to use strong security products. In many cases, owners have inadequate security or no security at all on their scooters, making it easy for thieves to steal them and then use them to commit snatch and robbery offences.

Security measures alone cannot guarantee a scooter will not be stolen, but every step taken makes it less attractive to a thief. There is a film which shows not only how easy it is for thieves to steal vehicles that have not been adequately secured, but that thieves are less likely to target bikes with two locks, put off by the time involved in stealing them.

As well as similar parking bay events, which will be held across London, the campaign will also see adverts on buses travelling through some of the top scooter theft hotspots in London - Westminster, Wandsworth, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Southwark, Haringey and Hammersmith and Fulham.

There will also be leaflets, a social media campaign and vinyl stencils printed onto dedicated parking bays in hotspot boroughs, reminding riders to use more security.