Andrew Dismore

Moped-enabled crime in Camden dropped by 65% between March 2018 and September 2018, compared to the preceding six-month period. This data, obtained from a Freedom of Information request made to the Metropolitan Police, also revealed that moped-enabled offences across London reduced by a third over the same period. Local London Assembly Member, Andrew Dismore AM, credited the crackdown to “a sharply focussed campaign from our local police forces”.

In Camden, there were 993 moped offences between March 2018 to August 2018, compared with 2,913 across September 2017 to February 2018.

At a recent London Assembly Police and Crime Committee meeting, the Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Craig Mackey, attributed this decrease to police forces having intensified their work to tackle moped-enabled crime.

In addition, the Metropolitan Police Service Business Plan 2018-2021, identifies some of the new measures that have been taken by local police forces in this area, such as the introduction of light-weight police motorcycles, the DNA spray-tagging of offenders and remote-controlled tyre deflators, (also known as PROSpike devices).

Since July 2015, Operation Venice, led by the Metropolitan Police, has identified and clamped down on a number of organised criminal networks involved in moped-related crime across the capital. The Met’s Business Plan, observes that this has resulted in some significant arrests and charges.

The Met Police has also prioritised a preventative approach, promoting its ‘Be Safe’ campaign which encourages owners of mopeds and motorbikes to take extra precautions when securing their vehicles. To supplement this, the force has been working with manufacturers to ensure security mechanisms are enhanced in the next generation of scooters and mopeds.

Local London Assembly Member, Andrew Dismore AM, said:

“Moped-enabled crime is a shocking and highly visible crime that has blighted our streets for too long.

“It is extremely positive that we are starting to see a significant drop in the number of incidents, and this is down to a sharply focussed campaign from our local police forces.

“The number of offences that are still taking place is a serious cause for concern and this is why we need to ensure that the Met is adequately resourced, so it can continue to intensify its clampdown.

“We cannot afford to take our feet off the pedal when it comes to tackling moped crime. We must do all we can to prevent these brazen and ruthless offenders from getting away with impunity”.

ENDS

Notes

• Moped-enabled crime offences in Camden dropped by 65% between March 2018 and August 2018, compared to the preceding six-month period across September 2017 to February 2018. This is according to data obtained from a Freedom of Information Request issued to the Metropolitan Police. This data can be provided upon request;

• In Camden, there were 993 moped-enabled crime offences between March 2018 to August 2018, compared with 2913 across September 2017 to February 2018.

• The same data has also revealed that over the same period, moped-enabled crime fell by a third across London. Between March and August 2018, there were 7762 incidents of moped-enabled This compares with 11,372 offences during the preceding six months;

• At a London Assembly Police and Crime Committee meeting, which took place on 4^th October 2018, the Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Craig Mackey, attributed this decrease to police forces having intensified their application of tactics known to be the most effective when tackling moped crime;

• The Metropolitan Police Service Business Plan 2018-2021, identifies some of the new measures that have been taken by local police forces in this area, such as the introduction of light-weight police motorcycles, the DNA spray-tagging of offenders and remote-controlled tyre deflators, (also known as PROSpike devices);

• Since July 2015, Operation Venice, led by the Metropolitan Police, has identified and clamped down on a number of organised criminal networks involved in moped-related crime across the capital. The Metropolitan Police Service Business Plan 2018-2021, observes that this has resulted in some significant arrests and charges;

• The Met Police have promoted its ‘Be Safe’ campaign which encourages owners of mopeds and motorbikes to take extra precautions when securing their vehicles;

• The Met Police have also been working with two-wheeled powered vehicle manufacturers to ensure security measures are enhanced in the design of the next generation of scooters and mopeds;

• Andrew Dismore AM is the London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden