POLICE INCREASE THEIR E-BIKE ‘FORCE’ TO TACKLE GANGS
The fight against gangs who use e-bikes and mopeds to commit crime across London has stepped up a gear with the Met increasing the size of its own e-bike ‘force’ from five to 25, it was announced today.
The significant increase is part of the force’s continued drive to cut street crime and use the latest technology to stay ahead of criminals.
The use of e-bikes locally in Teddington and in Bushy Park has become an increasing issue and concern for retailers who are victims of shoplifting gangs.
The lightweight bikes enable officers to cut through traffic, navigate narrow streets and even tackle staircases, allowing them to reach and catch criminals in places inaccessible to conventional police motorcycles and cars.
They are a game-changer in the fight against phone theft, enabling officers to pursue offenders quickly and intervene moments after a snatch offence.
This has helped reduce phone theft by more than 13,000 offences across London in the last year.
Louise Puddefoot, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Frontline Policing, said: ”Expanding our Sur-Ron fleet gives officers another powerful tool to stay one step ahead of criminals.
“These bikes allow officers to move quickly through busy streets, access areas traditional vehicles cannot reach, respond faster to crime and arrest more suspects.
“Criminals are using high-powered, often illegally modified e-bikes to commit offences such as phone theft and robbery.
“By expanding this capability, we have listened to our officers, giving them the tools they need to disrupt criminality and keep Londoners safe.
“Londoners are already seeing the results of our relentless focus on tackling street crime, with neighbourhood crime down 14 per cent over the past year and 13,000 fewer phone thefts.”
The Met has released bodyworn video footage of two recent incidents showing the value of the Sur-Ron bikes:
- On 17 August, officers responded to reports of an illegally ridden, uninsured e-bike. When the rider attempted to flee, officers were able to match the bike’s acceleration and maintain pursuit. The suspect lost control and was detained, with the bike seized.
- On 21 August, officers at a vehicle stop site spotted a moped rider attempting to evade police. A Sur-Ron riding officer pursued the suspect through traffic and into a housing estate. When the rider fell and fled on foot, the officer was able to maintain pursuit due to the bike’s agility and light weight. The suspect was arrested and found in possession of a significant quantity of Class A drugs. He was also a disqualified driver riding a moped displaying false plates.
The rollout is part of the Met’s increasing use of technology to pursue offenders who are consistently using e-bikes, causing fear on the streets.
So far this year, officers have seized more than 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters, often modified with high-powered batteries or uninsured.
Funding for the bikes came from profits taken from crime and reinvested back into policing with Home Office support for rider training in the West End.
The Met will continue to invest in precise, targeted technology to help officers prevent crime, disrupt offenders and reach incidents faster.
Expansion of the fleet comes as neighbourhood offences are falling, down 14 per cent in the 12 months to July compared with the previous year – the equivalent of more than 33,000 fewer offences across London.
This includes:
- 23,455 fewer thefts from person (-24.0 per cent)
- 2,886 fewer personal robberies (-11.2 per cent)
- 7,336 fewer vehicle offences (-8.0 per cent)
Sarah Jones MP, Minister for Policing and Crime, said: “People should be able to enjoy everything London has to offer without any concern of becoming a victim of crime.
“By rolling out these new Sur-Ron bikes, officers can now reach any incidents more quickly, target offenders more effectively and crack down on crime in some of the busiest parts of the capital.
“The Government is committed to ensuring police forces across the country are equipped to effectively tackle crime and keep communities safe. As part of our mission to halve knife crime, the Knife Crime Concentration Fund is supporting police to take the right action in the right places. We are already seeing progress, with knife crime down by 11% since the start of this Government. The rollout of these bikes is a great example of that targeted approach in action.”
Since being rolled out over recent weeks, officers have used the new bikes across Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “The Met’s new fleet of Sur-Ron e-bikes sends a clear message that London will not tolerate criminal behaviour. These bikes have been successfully helping the Met to go after offenders who are increasingly using high-powered, illegally modified e-bikes to commit crimes and it’s great to be able to expand the fleet.
“With record funding from City Hall, the Met are using the latest innovation and technology, alongside neighbourhood policing, to stay one step ahead of criminals. Working closely with the Met, I am committed to being tough on crime and building on the progress that we have seen in tackling robbery and phone thefts, as we build a safer London for everyone.”