Police vow as moped menace cut by a third
POLICE chiefs have vowed to continue snaring moped thugs after a nationwide crackdown showed positive results.
Moped crime fell by 32 per cent in London between January and August, compared with the same period the year before, the Home Office said yesterday.
Police targeted hotspots in the capital after attacks on thousands of people.
Officers recorded 22,025 moped crimes in London between June 2017 and May 2018 – 60 every day. Between June 2016 and May 2017, there were 14,699 offences.
Innovative
Police in other areas of the country are also targeting resources to stamp out the menace.
The Government has also pledged to beef up “pursuit powers” to protect police from being prosecuted after high-speed chases, providing they act in a necessary and proportionate way.
Now police chiefs intend to use similar tactics to combat the rising number of car thefts. Latest figures show a 17 per cent rise in vehicle theft in the year to March.
Policing Minister Nick Hurd said: “These figures are testament to the fantastic work achieved by the Metropolitan Police and I’m pleased this crime has fallen by so much, so quickly.
“Drawing together existing work by the police, industry and local government and agreeing additional measures has enabled all partners to provide the multi-agency approach tackling a complex issue like this requires.
“The Met have done a superb job targeting hotspots and deploying innovative and highly effective methods for stopping moped gangs. I’m excited to see what we can achieve by applying a similar response to vehicle theft.”
The Daily Express Stop The Moped Madness crusade has highlighted how criminals, often carrying weapons like knives, axes or acid, are brazen enough to commit offences in broad daylight.
Comedian Michael McIntyre was robbed by two men while outside his children’s school in North West London after the thieves smashed his car windows with a hammer.
During the height of the crisis last year charity worker Abdul Samad was killed by moped robbers after refusing to give them his phone PIN code. The pair then went on a four-hour spree of violence, stabbing four other people.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime, said: “The reductions show the encouraging results that can be achieved when there is a strong focus on enforcement complemented with committed partnership working.”