Officers who chase moped crims will get legal protection if the scumbag crashes
Home Secretary Amber Rudd has promised stronger legal protection for officers who chase after criminals mounted on two wheels. The move will mean officers won’t be hauled before the courts if a pursuit ends in a crash.
Rudd has reportedly made the announcement after learning about how thieves being chased by police remove helmets in order to force the officers to call off a pursuit. Up until now officers were following an ‘unwritten’ rule whereby the fear of prosecution in the courts after an accident meant that a chase was terminated before something serious happened.
A Home Office review of the law surrounding police pursuits will be completed early next year. Rudd told a conference of police chiefs and crime commissioners she would take action.
She said: “You said that officers have concerns about pursuing and apprehending moped-riding criminals. You explained that some officers worry about their legal position when pursuing suspected offenders when they’re on mopeds or scooters.
“So we’ve listened and we’re taking action. We’re reviewing the law and practice regarding police pursuits. We want to make sure officers feel they have the legal protection they need to go after moped and scooter gangs. I can say today that there will be change.
“I don’t want any officer to feel that they cannot pursue someone like this because they have taken their helmet off. We will always support the police and officers, not the criminals who commit these awful crimes on our streets.”