Operation Trail is go! Thames Valley Police launch new off-road motorcycle team against offenders

Thames Valley Police are cracking down on anti-social quadbike and motorcycle riders with a new team of off-road officers aboard Honda CRF300Ls. Part of a larger initiative called ‘Operation Trail’, the bikes have been funded as part of a road safety initiative backed by the local Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber.

“Operation Trail is a new initiative which will support Neighbourhood Policing and the Rural Crime Team tackling criminals who target rural areas,” Inspector Scott Long of Thames Valley Police and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, Joint Operations Unit, said.

“It will also enhance our capability when searching for vulnerable people on open land and provide visible reassurance to communities not normally accessible to traditional police vehicles.”

The Inspector continued: “We will also be deploying the bikes to areas that suffer from anti-social behaviour and will be able to tackle the illegal use of off-road bikes. We know that anti-social use of vehicles can cause misery and danger to communities, and we now have the capability to go off road and target those using vehicles illegally.”

The motorcycle mounted officers will be used to tackle crime across Thames Valley by providing support to localised neighbourhood policing teams. This will be in both rural and urban landscapes, with the motorcycles deployed in areas inaccessible to a standard police car.

In a statement released online, the force were also quick to remind owners that whilst two-, three-, and four-wheeled off-roaders can be used off the beaten track, it is illegal to ride them in public parks or on publicly owned land without permission from the local authority.

“The new team of off-road motorcycles will help our drive to tackle anti-social behaviour in the Thames Valley,” Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber added. “The team will support our growing number of neighbourhood police officers by tackling crime in often hard-to-reach areas and apprehending those causing anti-social behaviour riding quad bikes and motorbikes. 

“I look forward to seeing the positive actions of the new off-road motorcycle team, and the impact their work has on reducing anti-social behaviour for residents within our communities.”