200+ stolen bikes recovered in just one year by independent group
Volunteer recovery team celebrate first year of operation
‘We’re just two guys who bought a van’ SMRL FOUNDER AND SPOKESMAN
Stolen Motorcycle Recovery London (SMRL), a Facebook page dedicated to tracking down missing bikes and reuniting them with their owners, is celebrating its first birthday. During the first year of operation, the team have recovered more than 200 bikes (and two cars), returning them to their owners free of charge while also helping break up a chop shop. “I think like most bikers, we would constantly complain about a perceived lack of action surrounding bike theft until someone asked us what we were doing to help, and the idea sort of went from there,” one of the founders told MCN.
“We don’t go out in big groups, wear disguises or anything of the sort, we’re just two normal guys who bought a van and got on with the job at hand.” Although the idea came from a feeling that not enough was being done to recover bikes, the pair say they have: “met some awesome police officers who really care about London and put themselves on the frontline daily.” Other results include tracking down a distinctive bike just five minutes into a search and then making up an excuse to meet up with the rightful owner to surprise him. The pair also pinpointed a stolen BMW S1000RR by following its tracker to the Isle of Dogs where they gained access to the garage where it was hidden. The team rely heavily on intelligence provided by the public, either by reporting a suspicious bike or because they know the whereabouts of a bike listed as stolen on the page. Saying: “We couldn’t have done this without the support of a huge number of people, police officers, and the friends we have in various places who help us daily. A massive thank you! Also, a huge thank you to our supporters on social media. By sharing, liking and donating, you’re allowing us to keep us going.”
And they are keen to stress they play safe, adding: “Our highest priority remains the victims of motorcycle crime and we never seek to engage with the perpetrators of crime, nor do we make any effort to confront them. We do not endorse, agree with or support any form of vigilante activity towards criminals and we believe that the solution to the problem is a societal one.”