Home Office ministers host latest roundtable on moped crime
Home Office ministers, police leaders and industry partners discussed what more can be done to prevent offending and keep the public safe from moped attacks.
At yesterday’s meeting the Metropolitan Police provided an update to ministers, the Motorcycle Industry Association and the London Mayor’s Office on their latest statistics on moped-enabled crime which shows that there has been a steady fall in offences in London in the last 6 months.
Met figures show that from February to May this year there was a 38.5% reduction in the number of times scooters were used to commit crime compared with October 2017 to January 2018.
This decline has been aided by the deployment of new tactics such as the use of off-road bikes to aid pursuits and the use of DNA marker sprays to link suspects to the crimes.
Policing Minister Nick Hurd said:
The Metropolitan Police is working hard to tackle moped crime, which has been falling virtually month-on-month in the capital since its peak in July last year.
We are determined to support the police in their fight against crime and that is why we are consulting to change the law to give officers greater confidence to chase suspects on the roads.
This work sits alongside the consultation on police pursuits launched on 22 May which seeks to give police greater confidence to pursue suspects and will help tackle moped crime. The proposals include plans to make clear in law that a suspect is responsible for their own decision to drive dangerously and blame should not be attached to the pursuing officer.
Home Office ministers also welcomed the introduction of MCIA Secured – the new industry standard for a multi-layered anti-theft deterrent across all aspects of security developed by the Motorcycle Industry Association. It will enable customers to know which vehicles are best protected from being stolen and being used for crime.
We are taking unprecedented action against violent crime and have published the government’s first Serious Violence Strategy. This strategy marks a major shift in the government’s response to knife crime and gun crime and is backed with £40 million of Home Office funding.
The evidence is very clear that the drivers of serious violence are complex and should not be reduced to individual factors. Our new Serious Violence Strategy puts a stronger focus on steering young people away from violence while continuing to ensure the strongest possible law enforcement response.