Merseyside Police deliver a crushing blow to antisocial riders
Merseyside Police crush stolen or dangerous machines
‘More than 180 bikes have been seized’
COMMISSIONER EMILY SPURRELL
Merseyside Police crushed a number of seized motorcycles at an event on Monday, June 14, 2021. The vehicles were seized as part of Operation Brookdale, which was first introduced in 2012 to target antisocial and nuisance off-roading and theft.
“Nuisance bikes are a major concern and every single stolen or dangerous bike crushed today is making our region safer,” said Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell.
“Merseyside Police has worked really hard to tackle this issue, taking these bikes out of the hands of criminals. Since March more than 180 bikes have been seized, yet officers are not resting on their laurels. Today’s event is a visible demonstration of their on-going commitment to stopping the illegal and antisocial use of these bikes.
“If we are to remove them from our roads, we need the public’s help. By providing information either to the police, or anonymously to Crimestoppers, about where these unlicensed, uninsured bikes are being stored and who is using them, people can help the police to find them and seize them, making our streets safer for everyone.”
The campaign appears to be working according to statistics from the police that show the number of reported incidents has dropped from 10,511 in 2016-17 to 5150 in the last 12 months, that’s a 49% reduction.
Chief Inspector Paul Holden added: “The number of bikes seized during this year’s operation should mean that our communities are subjected to fewer incidents in the future and I also hope it makes people who use off-road bikes illegally or anti-socially think very carefully about their behaviour.
“Despite our successes in seizing these bikes, we will not be complacent. We know many of our communities continue to be blighted by bikes being ridden dangerously and I want to reassure people that our work will carry on.”