What are the Police doing about crime? | On the beat: July 2022

Join ex-motorcycle Police Sergeant Dave Yorke in our new series ‘highlighting what some of the UK’s Police forces have been up to in the past month. Stolen bikes being recovered after pursuits, drugged-up riders and 125mph speeders being caught, nuisance riders stopped from being a nuisance and ‘meeting the Met’, it’s all covered in this month’s ‘On the beat’…

Photo from Devon and Cornwall Roads Policing Team on twitter

Devon and Cornwall Roads Policing Team put a stop to some alleged dangerous riding by the rider of this KTM and what they termed as ‘FTS’, which is Police terminology for ‘failed to stop for a Police officer’. The rider was later charged with the offences and will appear in court.

The force caused a bit of a stir on its twitter feed over the use of pursuits but not all FTS offences involve a pursuit. Once the request for a rider to stop has been made by an officer, the fail to stop part of the offence is committed when the rider fails to stop; the Police don’t have to pursue for the offence to be completed. Devon and Cornwall took the opportunity to mask out (most of) their unmarked bike from the image, which may or may not have played a part in bringing pursuit to a halt.

Photo from Merseyside Roads Policing Unit on Twitter

Stolen from a visitor to the Isle of Man TT while the rider waited for their ferry from Liverpool, this KTM 125 Duke was spotted by Merseyside Police. The KTM was recovered only two or three miles from the ferry terminal, even though the TT finished nearly two months ago.

Three people were arrested after they dumped it and ran. It’s highly unlikely they’ll be charged with the original theft of the bike, but unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle should be forthcoming. We’ll keep an eye on this and see what the justice system sees fit to deliver.

The KTM is registered in Germany so big kudos to the German rider who had ridden a 125cc bike nearly all the way to the TT.

It’s heart breaking for riders visiting the TT to have their bikes stolen before they even get there, but it does happen and not only in Merseyside, which is why it’s so important to have good security when staying overnight anywhere. Check out the reviews of the best motorcycle locks here.

How Merseyside Police beat the TT thieves

Meet On the Beat’s author, Dave Yorke, back when he was Sergeant in 2019

Photo from Thames Valley Police Roads Policing on Twitter

Thames Valley Police were also getting in on the recovering stolen vehicle act, but this time they were taking a report of a bike being stolen, finding it and arresting someone all within half an hour, which is quick by anyone’s standards.

Officers might have found it by good old fashioned ‘searching the area’ policing, but Hondas of this age came with the option of a free tracker, albeit with a monthly subscription, so they may have just followed the tracker. Either way, a tracker is a good way to up your chances of getting a Police response to a theft as cops – no matter what you read – will always want to arrest a thief… it’s just other things that get in the way sometimes. You can follow two of the UK’s leading tracker companies – BikeTrac and Datatool – and find details of the best motorcycle tracker here.

Photos from Essex Roads Policing on twitter

Arresting the rider of this bike after a short pursuit, Essex Police found that the individual was not only in possession of drugs, but they also failed a roadside drugs test, coming up positive for both cannabis and cocaine. The offence carries the same penalties as drink drive, so a ban is in the fast approaching future...

Photo from Cheshire Police Bike Cops on Twitter

More cops using unmarked bikes, this time to catch speeders in Cheshire. The first still, taken from a video, shows a bike at 119mph on a balmy evening at just about 7pm but Cheshire Police Bike Cops said the rider had been seen at up to 125mph.

In the other still they show us the four-way camera system fitted to the bike as they catch another rider at 115mph; one camera facing forward with others facing to the rear and sideways. The sideways camera will be used for identifying drivers on their mobile phones or the drivers of stolen vehicles, while the fourth camera is focused on the Police bike’s speedometer, which as you can see from the RS markings is a calibrated speedo… it doesn’t refer to a BMW R1250RS!

Not that many motocyclists ride at 125mph on the road, and it shows those that do aren’t paying attention to what’s behind them. Even if they dom look in their mirrors, a bike behind is unlikely to be another rider who also thinks 125mph is a good idea; in all probability it’ll be the Police, and the rider’s poor observation and choice of speed will cost them dearly with a ban being very probable.

Photo from Greater Manchester Police Traffic on Twitter

And finally, with the Commonwealth Games taking place, bike cops from around the country were helping West Midlands Police to cover the events.

Although the cops aren’t in their local area, they won’t be allowed to travel to the games on mutual aid (where one force helps another with staff) unless the requirements for policing in their own area can be met. No police force in Britain can afford to permanently have the number of bike cops required to police large events full time, so it makes sense to get help in; even paying for it is cheaper than maintaining such a large skill set.

This brought up some weird and wonderful partnerships, with Guernsey Police bikes working with Gwent Police along with Greater Manchester Police working alongside South Yorkshire Police .

Derbyshire RPU were also helping out at the games, as were the Metropolitan Police if the sticker is anything to go by… it’s well known that cops who leave their bikes unattended will often ‘meet the Met’

Photo from Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit on Twitter