No escape for bike thieves

Police are committing to more pursuits and ‘tactical contacts’ as part of Operation Venice. The Metropolitan Police’s crackdown on the current scooter crime wave, is starting to have a positive effect with Police even celebrating stops on social media.

The Roads and Transport team have been pointing out their successes on Twitter, even posting how they used a ‘tactical contact’ to end a pursuit after the riders thought removing their helmets would stop them.

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Operation Venice has now expanded to include violent crimes and robberies involving mopeds, with officers arresting three men aged between 16 and 17 after officers recovered a stolen moped, bank cards and a machete.

TPAC unit working @MPSKENCHEL used Tactical Contact to stop this Bike when he decided he did not want to stop. Rider was arrested. This took place during last nights England game.
We are proud of our England team & @METPOLICEUK officers. pic.twitter.com/Iu8ExQmsAj

— Roads&Transport MPS (@MPSRTPC) July 12, 2018

The successes have been echoed in the courtroom too as Jamie Farrell, one of the men involved in the infamous moped smash and grab on an Oxford St jewellers, has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Moped related crime has fallen consistently this year, which the Met put down to these pro-active pursuits and successful convictions. However this comes on the back of news that the moped riders have their eyes fixed on more lucrative targets.

On Monday, July 9, moped muggers rode into the front beer garden of a pub in Islington, before the pillion passenger brandished an 8-inch knife and stole a patrons watch. Three weeks prior, two men on a stolen scooter stole a cash delivery box from a Sainsburys in Chingford, in broad daylight.

Speaking about these crimes, Detective Inspector Steve Brownlee, of the Met’s Operation Venice, said: “The police are working hard to keep the public safe and make the streets hostile territory for criminals who steal scooters, mopeds and motorbikes and then use them to snatch valuables from members of the public.”

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