Andrew Dismore

At City Hall’s Police and Crime Committee meeting, Andrew Dismore AM, questioned Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt and Deputy Mayor for Policing Sophie Linden about the moped crime wave. (Video: https://vimeo.com/243113943)

Mr Dismore said:

‘Camden has the highest number of moped crimes this year, with over 4,000 between January and September. With Islington at over 3,500 too, that accounts for nearly half of all moped enabled crimes in London and is not a good advert for the merged borough command.

‘We have now seen moped criminals not just snatching phones off the street, but also storming coffee shops and retailers, to steal laptops and phones being used by customers who think they are in a safe place. With the attack in Regent Street by a gang of 10 thieves, stealing laptops and phones in a five moped raid on the Apple store, things are even more serious.

Moped thieves have become more inventive, more brazen, more aggressive, more violent and more frightening as an email from one of my constituents, Jessica, shows, all too typical of emails I receive, shows:

‘I wanted to get in touch with you as I am growing increasingly concerned about the spate of increasingly aggressive and violent moped/ bike etc attacks taking place across London, but particularly where I live in Belsize Park.  

I personally had a near miss last week and almost didn’t report it to the police as I felt that there was nothing they could or would do. This is despite that fact that most of my friends who live in the area have been a victim or have witnessed this sort of crime.

However after having heard about the robbery on Monday in Highgate in which two assailants smashed their way into a bakery on an afternoon, I was compelled to write to you to ask what the Mayor is doing to combat this. Currently it appears to the public (and I’m sure the assailants too) that they commit these sorts of crimes with impunity.

I have never felt afraid of walking the streets of London but now it feels like an increasingly frightening prospect’.

‘The police argue that progress is being made, with a drop of 11% in the theft of mopeds and 12% in moped crime, but that still means too many are being committed.

‘The Commissioner has attributed this reduction in moped-enabled crime to “targeted intelligence-led operations, increased arrests, new tactics and joint working”. On 31 October, the Met announced the new tactics, which include “the use of forensic tagging, four new purpose-built bikes and mobile remote-controlled stingers”. The aim of the new tactics is to create a hostile environment for those carrying out moped-enabled crime.

‘We need to ensure the police are able to pursue offenders safely, and the new equipment and tactics they have I hope will make a difference and enable the police to get on top of this frightening crime’.