‘Let gardai knock thieves off bikes’
Man who fixes motorcycles damaged during robberies wants Uk-style approach
EXCLUSIVE MOTORCYCLE robberies will continue to skyrocket unless gardai are given the power to knock thugs down during pursuits like in the UK, a mechanic warned.
Edward Keogh, who owns the Motorbike Doctor in Dublin, revealed he has lost count of how many bikes he’s fixed that were damaged by thieves.
He stressed motorcycles can be stolen in a matter of minutes and revealed some are taken by joyriders who dump them after they’re bored while others are robbed on behalf of criminal gangs.
The 44-year-old told the Irish Mirror: “Motorcycle robberies are definitely on the rise.
“I get a lot of calls from customers about damage caused to their bikes after an attempted robbery or after it’s been found. I’ve also heard some are being stolen for criminal gangs or to be sold abroad.
“There was kind of a gradual increase initially but then it grew exponentially, it’s at the surge phase at the moment.
“This was a problem in London for years and they changed the laws and allowed the police to chase and knock them off. If the thieves are like, ‘we’re going to get knocked off this bike’ then they’ll be much less likely to do it.”
Forces in the UK are permitted to strike motorcyclists with their patrol vehicles to stop them.
The Met Police in London said this had reduced “scooter crime” by 36% and stressed cops are specially-trained to perform the manoeuvre.
Financial analyst Karl Deeter, who confronted thugs who were trying to rob his motorbike with a yard brush last September, is also in favour of a knockdown policy being introduced in Ireland.
Karl said: “If you asked the public, ‘Would you prefer if the guards could knock down criminals on motorbikes or would you prefer if they weren’t allowed to chase them or knock them down?’
“I think that you’d find overwhelmingly that people want guards that can fight crime effectively.
“Helen Mcentee needs to get off her high horse about hate speech and the bad words you might say to each other and tackle actual real crime.”
When asked if they were considering introducing a knockdown policy, a Garda spokesman said it “is currently drafting a revised pursuit policy” and added that they do not comment on draft policies.
People want guards that can fight crime effectively KARL DEETER YESTERDAY