Largest rise in crime in decade as moped gangs ride rampant

THEFTS by moped-riding gangs have contributed to the largest increase in crime in 10 years, figures show.

Statistics released by the Office for National Statistics showed that almost five million crimes were recorded by police in England and Wales in the year to March 2017, a 10 per cent rise on the previous year.

Among this was a seven per cent rise in theft, including a 20 per cent increase in theft of a vehicle and a 10 per cent rise in shoplifting. More than 91,000 vehicle thefts were reported, an increase of more than 15,000 from the previous year and the highest since 2011.

Bicycle theft increased by nine per cent and there was also a 21 per cent increase in “dine and dash” offences, which rose from 64,538 to 77,917.

The ONS said that a recent increase in moped crimes could be behind some of the rise in theft. Pedestrians have reported having their phones snatched from their hands as they walk on the pavement by thieves riding mopeds.

On Tuesday, moped owners protested against a spate of attacks by criminals on mopeds, which included recent acid attacks on delivery drivers. Last Thursday, five acid assaults took place within 90 minutes in East London. Riders were doused with a corrosive liquid by attackers who pulled up alongside.

The ONS said: “Often the mopeds used to facilitate snatch thefts and robberies are also stolen; these vehicles typically do not have immobilisers and vehicles are targeted that have little to no strong security products. The increase in these types of crimes could be a contributing factor to the rise seen in vehicle-related thefts, theft from the person and robbery.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “There has been a noticeable increase in the theft of scooters, motorcycles and mopeds and their use in the commission of theft snatch offences over the last five years.”

The figures also showed a 20 per cent rise in knife crime and a 23 per cent rise in gun crime. The police-recorded figures were released alongside figures from the crime survey for England and Wales, which showed a seven per cent drop. It records people’s experiences of crime and does not include offences such as homicide, sexual offences, shoplifting, harassment, public order, drug and weapon possession.

Separate statistics released yesterday show that police numbers have fallen to the lowest level since 1985. A Home Office report showed that there were 123,142 officers in England and Wales at the end of March this year.

Interpreting crime statistics is never a straightforward exercise. To begin with there are two measurements – offences recorded by the police and the British Crime Survey carried out among 40,000 householders. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics yesterday showed the former were on the rise, and especially crimes of violence, while the latter rate was falling.

The Government took some comfort from the survey figures and pointed out that some of the increase in violent crime was due to changes in recording practices. But the Conservatives need to beware complacency. They lost their reputation for being the party of law and order in the early Nineties and allowed Labour under Tony Blair to assume the “tough on crime” mantle. Arguably, stricter penal policies introduced in the midnineties by Michael Howard as home secretary started the long decline in crime that continued under Labour and the Coalition.

However, there are worrying signs that this is going into reverse. Police recording techniques may have changed; but the rise in offending in the 12 months to March was the highest for 10 years and is unlikely to be a statistical quirk. It coincides with the continued fall in the number of police officers to the lowest level since 1985.

When Labour came to power in 1997 and police numbers fell, the Conservatives – rightly – made a huge fuss about it, so much so that recruitment was increased markedly. The Tories argued at the time that fewer bobbies on the beat left the streets vulnerable to the muggers and the gangs. The Government needs to get a grip on what is happening today. A reputation for being soft on crime is hard to shake off.