Police to get powers they need to chase down moped thugs
RULES on police chasing crooks are being changed to give officers more confidence to pursue violent moped criminals who throw off their helmets.
Ministers want to smash the ‘myth’ that officers cannot chase helmetless riders in case there is an accident and the thugs are killed or suffer major injuries.
Police Minister Nick Hurd acted amid concerns police were finding themselves in the dock over high-speed chases as they can be prosecuted for dangerous or careless driving like any other motorist.
Under Government proposals published today, the rules will be tweaked to recognise police drivers’ high level of training.
It comes after the Daily Mail highlighted how gangs of masked thugs as young as 14 use stolen scooters for their speed and manoeuvrability – and because police are often reluctant to give chase.
Last year, 23,500 scooterrelated crimes were committed in London – an average of 64 a day. Police claim they are hindered by current rules which state they can chase marauding moped and motorbike gangs only if the safety risk to the crooks is proportionate to the crime. Officers are following an ‘unwritten’ health and safety rule that means their career is at risk if they endanger thugs.
A scourge of ‘ pavement pirates’ on bikes have threatened shoppers with machetes, ram-raided stores for jewellery and designer goods worth millions, and hurled acid.
Mr Hurd said: ‘People must be able to go about their daily lives without fear of harassment or attack and criminals must not think they can get away with a crime by riding or driving in a certain way or on a certain type of vehicle. Our proposed changes will make sure that skilled police
drivers training ensuring who held emergency Under do to cross who account.’ existing the are services follow the minority protected, line their laws, are are of rigorous robustly exempt officers all while the from and 999 traffic call. sign speed laws However, violations they limit, are for traffic treated when other light road on the a same including as members the law of on the careless public, and It means dangerous that driving. a police pursuit driver chasing a criminal who was involved in an accident would face the same test as a motorist driving to the supermarket for a pint of milk – were they ‘careful and competent’?
Even if they escape prosecution, officers can be investigated for gross misconduct and sacked. Police who have faced charges after pursuing moped criminals sometimes have to wait years before having their names cleared. New laws would require an officer to drive ‘to the standard of a careful and competent police driver of a similar level of training and skill’.
They will also be given greater protection if they use tactics such as ‘hard stops’, where drivers halt a suspect vehicle.
Ministers believe the changes should cover police response driving, such as when officers are called to a terrorist incident, as well as pursuits. There were around 10,000 police pursuits and 500,000 response drives in England and Wales in 2016-17.
The Government is also proposing 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.
Police Federation spokesman Tim Rogers said: ‘Although it is a positive step that the Government have finally agreed that a legislation change is required, they must now act quickly to prevent more officers suffering unnecessary and often mendacious prosecutions.’
Last year four officers were cleared of gross misconduct over the death of Henry Hicks, 18, after his stolen scooter crashed into cars in London as he was being followed by police cars in 2014. He was found with seven bags of skunk cannabis.
‘Skilled drivers will be protected’