Met drivers ready to ram moped muggers, even if they remove helmets
Officers given permission to engage motorcycle criminals and stop them hiding behind safety fears
POLICE officers have been authorised to fight back against moped criminals as Scotland Yard said they will ram suspects off their bikes even if they are not wearing helmets.
The thieves will be targeted “at every opportunity”, even when they ride dangerously, discard their helmets and disguise themselves, the head of the Metropolitan Police’s moped crime unit said.
Confusion over the existing rules meant many officers were reluctant to chase suspects, fearing that they would be hauled before the courts if the rider was injured or killed. As a result, many criminals were emboldened and believed they could make an easy getaway by removing their helmets.
However, earlier this year the Home Office said it wanted to “smash the myth” and give police officers the confidence to give chase knowing they would not be held responsible for the actions of the criminal.
Footage released yesterday by Scotland Yard showed how the policy was being put into practice, with trained drivers ramming suspected criminals. The tactic reduces the need for pursuits and helps prevent injury to offenders and members of the public.
By demonstrating the full range of tactics that its officers are prepared to use, the Met hopes that potential offenders will now think twice.
Commander Amanda Pearson, of the front-line-policing unit, said: “There is a perception that if you remove your helmet or fail to stop for police when requested to do so, we will not take any further course of action. This is untrue.
“The public quite rightly expects us to intervene to keep London safe. Our highly trained police drivers weigh up the risks and decide upon the most appropriate tactics in those circumstances.”
She said: “Offenders on mopeds and motorcycles who attempt to evade the police are making a choice that puts themselves and others at risk.
“So our message is clear – we can, we will and we do target those involved in moped and motorcycle crime at every opportunity.”
Police use a range of tactics across London to tackle offenders which includes DNA forensic tagging and the use of automatic tyre deflation devices.
Despite the epidemic of motorcycle crime – which came to a head last summer – health and safety concerns among many pursuit drivers led to a fear that they could face prosecution or lengthy internal disciplinary investigations if there was an accident.
Last year, the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, wrote to its members warning them not to pursue criminals in high-speed chases because they could not rely on the law to protect them.
Sgt Tony Mcgovern, a driver on a specialist team known as Scorpion, said attempts were made to first reduce the speed of a chase, but added: “It’s incredibly quick and very dynamic. Your decision-making changes in a split second.”
The new measures are intended to further curb the trend of gangs using mopeds to steal up to 30 mobile phones an hour, often as victims leave Tube stations or other transport hubs.
Intensive, proactive policing and engagement, led by the Operation Venice investigations team, has resulted in a reduction in moped crime across the capital by 36per cent, according to figures from Scotland Yard.
From January to October, there were 7,036 fewer offences than during the same period last year.