London’s scooter gangs crime spree and its implication for all riders
In recent years the UK has seen an unprecedented number of crimes committed on scooters and other 2 wheeled vehicles, which have been stolen for their ease of use in smash & grab, bag snatching and most notably, the theft of mobile phones, due to the increase in the value of their spare parts.
With social media and news networks broadcasting the crimes around the world, there exists a high probability that public opinion will view riders and thieves as one and the same. Especially for scooter riders.
The UK newspaper Evening Standard reported that with just the key out, the average thief can steal a scooter in 30 – 40 seconds and two wheeled vehicles were stolen at the rate of 1500 per month, with 2,500 scooter related thefts committed in a month.
Scooters are becoming more popular as car insurance rates rise and urban streets experience more congestion. Scooter riders are advised to lock more than the front wheel, to lock the machine to an item actually secured to the street and to cover the vehicle.
Police also recommend trackers and marking devices. To combat the scourge, as of 2017 London Metropolitan Police planned to employ additional covert patrols, engage a specialist tactical traffic advisor to authorize high speed pursuits and use tire deflation devices.
However, London police fear giving chase to offenders citing the possibility of being charged with reckless driving as well as the risk of injuries or death not just to suspects but also to innocent bystanders.
Incredibly, thieves are exploiting this fear by removing their helmets during chases. The UK’s Police Federation is asking for legislation to protect officers in their pursuit of offenders.
Currently the Government is looking at new police pursuit rules that would make suspects responsible for their own driving and prevent officers from being prosecuted for their driving during a chase.
Police are also combatting this 2 pronged scooter crime spree by hunting down networks handling stolen cell phones and talking to the motorcycle industry about theft prevention improvements.
New, embedded anti-theft systems are expected to take 2-3 years. London’s Daily Mail newspaper indicated that Scotland Yard recorded 22,025 motorcycle muggings in the 12 months up to May 2018 and reported that on August 22, 2018 “Operation Venice” deployed 100 officers who stormed 15 locations around London and resulted in the arrest of 13 people involved in scooter crimes.
The true figure is likely to be far higher, as many victims do not report the crime out of embarrassment.
London Metropolitan’s police commissioner said the government’s austerity program was among the reasons for the increase in violent crime. Ministers countered with the statement that the country’s police forces are to receive £12.6 billion from 2018 – 2019, but London’s mayor insisted that the Met police have lost £1 billion from their budget.
BBC interview with a London scooter thieve, “Britain’s Moped Thieves”
