END THIS MOPED MADNESS!
Police demand change in the law so officers are not afraid to chase gangs
THE law must be changed so police can chase violent moped gangs without fear of prosecution, police chiefs, MPs and victims said yesterday.
Increasing numbers of moped muggers are stalking the streets, snatching mobile phones and throwing acid at members of the public and emergency services.
But masked suspects often remove their helmets so that when they ride off at speed, police don’t give chase in case there’s an accident and they are blamed.
Police drivers are allowed to break the speed limit and run red lights while in pursuit, but they are not exempt from prosecution if someone is hurt as a result.
In recent months, attacks by moped thugs have become more daring and violent, and in some cases fatal, because the yobs have come to believe they are untouchable.
But the Police Federation, politicians and victims have called for greater protection for officers so they are no longer afraid to risk their career to catch moped robbers.
The Federation, which represents rank and file officers, wants to change the law, which does not exempt officers from prosecution for careless or dangerous driving in pursuits.
It is also calling for police chiefs to publicly back those who chase offenders and for investigations by the police watchdog into collisions during chases to be speedier.
National guidelines, which state police need permission from a senior officer for every pursuit and must consider all risks to suspects who remove their helmets, are forcing many police to let riders get away.
Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: ‘Recently they have all started taking their helmets off as they’ve cottoned on to the fact we are not going to bother with them.
‘Colleagues are saying it is not worth my career to pursue and they know they won’t get any backing if they crash.
‘Police leaders should be supporting officers that pursue mopeds, even when they drive recklessly. We need to tackle this. We want to see clear guidelines saying no action will be taken against an officer who pursues someone who is not wearing a crash helmet.
‘If we do not tackle this modern-day highway robbery, this is going to spread beyond a pandemic in London to the rest of the country.’
In December 2014, Henry Hicks, an 18-year-old carpenter from Islington, north London, died when his moped crashed while police chased it. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) decided four officers should face gross misconduct charges because they had ‘conducted a pursuit without authorisation from a senior officer’.
It also said they failed to ‘consider the risks to Henry of the pursuit or make any consideration as to whether he may have been a juvenile’. After the case, Scotland Yard issued a reminder to officers about the hazards of pursuits. Fresh guidance was issued to all forces in June this year, reminding police drivers to stay within the law.
Crimes involving mopeds have exploded in London, and threaten to spread to other cities. In the 12 months to June, the Metropolitan Police recorded 16,158 thefts by people using mopeds – more than three times as many as the 5,145 reported between July 2015 and June 2016.
Thefts of scooters and mopeds by gangs to carry out street muggings have also doubled in the capital since 2013.
Research by Catch 22, a charity that works with former gang members, suggests moped muggers can make £300 in a minutes from snatching a phone. Some yobs carry out ten muggings an hour. Police in Merseyside and Greater Manchester have also set up teams to fight illegal and antisocial use of off-road bikes.
Yesterday, Labour policing spokesman Louise Haigh said: ‘We need confidence that the police will enforce the law.
‘The police need to have confidence that the law itself allows them to do so.’
Tory MP Chris Philp said police should be assured that they will only be prosecuted in extreme circumstances.
He added: ‘It is ridiculous the police don’t pursue criminals on mopeds. As soon as word gets around, it encourages that behaviour. They should recommence pursuit immediately, whether or not they are wearing a helmet.’
Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron added: ‘Police officers are in an impossible position.’
This week, a moped gang armed with hammers, knives
‘Tackle this modern highway robbery’ ‘Impossible position’
and a gun were jailed for stealing phones and tablets worth £1million in 17 smash and grab raids.
In other cases, a paramedic had her phone snatched by moped thieves while on an emergency, and an MP was attacked with a brick after challenging two thugs on motorcycles for their anti-social behaviour.
Last month, five people were sprayed with acid, including a food delivery rider, Jabed Hussain, whose scooter was stolen.
Mr Hussain, who is president of the Workers Union London group, representing some 2,500 Deliveroo, Uber and UberEats drivers, said: ‘I would back any campaign that would see the police chase after these people – whether they are wearing a helmet or not.’
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said: ‘As far as pursuits are concerned, drivers are highly likely to fall outside the law as it is currently drafted.’
THERE is a new menace on the streets of Britain. ArmedArm with hammers, knives or – most distur disturbingly – caustic acid, brazen moped-drivi moped-driving thugs are running rampant. On stolen bikes, masked men speed around our cities, mounting the pavement to snatch m mobile phones and handbags, staging carcar-jackings and robbing delivery drivers of theirth scooters.
If the offen offenders think they can act with impunity, it’sit’ for good reason.
Terrifyingly Terrifyingly, police have largely given up pursuing cri criminals on motorcycles, and the hoodlums k know it. For under mad safety rules, office officers don’t chase suspects not wearing helm helmets in case there is an accident. They mustmus obtain permission from a senior offi officer who conducts a risk assessment assessment. This is the triumph of boxticking andan back- covering in which common sensesen has been abandoned.
As victims’ faces are scarred by acid, these biker thugs are laughing at the law, and being allow allowed to get away with it. This crazy situati situation must end – urgently.