New Northumbria Police unit to drive down motorbike crime and disorder

Recent policing operations by officers in Northumbria have had very encouraging results, with bikes seized and significant arrests made, and the Commissioner says she is determined to bolster efforts further by investing in what has been identified as an increasing concern among local communities.

A total of £196,000 secured from the Home Office will fund a new, dedicated support unit to strengthen intelligence sharing between partners. This will then feed into police action and designated operations to target those responsible for causing motorbike-related crime and anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.

The Commissioner said: “I’m more than aware just how much of a concern motorbike-related crime is across our communities.

“It’s not only nuisance behaviours, but dangerous behaviours too. It may only be a small minority doing it, but it can put many people at risk of what can be very tragic consequences.

“We must do all we can to drive out this problem – and this project will focus on really understanding the issue, promoting safety and encouraging reporting. We want to steer troublemakers away from these nuisance behaviours and officers will take tough action on those responsible.

“Nobody wants a fine, nobody wants their bike taken away, but these are the things that are going to happen if you chose to ride somewhere illegal, somewhere unsafe.

“By tackling those responsible for these behaviours, we can improve the lives of local residents and that’s what we are setting out to do.”