Mo’ money needed for moped crime

Britain is in the grip of a new kind of crime wave. Or so it would seem if one were to believe the headlines. Hordes of helmeted youngsters are cruising streets armed with hammers and bottles of acid ready to smash the windows of expensive shops or rob passing commuters. ‘‘Moped-enabled crime’’ is a phrase that has passed from the police database to the front pages.

There have been fatal stabbings; victims have been beaten, others sprayed with acid and some dragged along pavements. It is a growing issue: in London, the Metropolitan police say the number of such offences has risen from just over 1000 in 2014 to more than 19,000 in the year to last September.

Handled badly, a moral panic sparking a heavyhanded police action can see bad laws follow.

Thankfully this has not been the reaction, so far, to this wave of attacks. Instead the police have responded with a series of sensible measures – ranging from making mopeds harder to steal to increasing the use of data. But the Met’s budget has fallen 20 per cent since 2010 and the force is facing further cuts – impacting officers’ ability to work on the ground. While the police are changing the way they pursue investigations, it is doubtful whether innovations in approach could outweigh the effects of cuts. Unless forces are adequately resourced, it’s hard to see how a long-term crackdown on moped crime will work.