More power for Police to recover stolen bikes

Police Officers will be given greater powers to access a property if a tracking device shows that a stolen motorcycle or scooter is inside, thanks to the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill.

The Home Office has announced that the flagship Bill, which is said to be at the heart of what the Labour government is calling its ‘Safer Streets Mission’ and is hoped to become law by the end of 2025, will target the most serious crimes including knife crime, stalking, criminal and sexual exploitation of children and terrorist threats.

But it’s also aiming to cut through red tape and speed up investigations into crimes that – while relatively minor in comparison – take up a significant amount of Police time and cause distress to a large proportion of the British public.

The BBC reported yesterday that the Bill promises more powers to search homes for stolen phones by eliminating the need for a court warrant, but Bennetts BikeSocial has confirmed with the Home Office that this will also apply to motorcycles and scooters, or in fact any vehicle that’s electronically tracked to a location, meaning Police will be able to far more easily gain access to recover it, and potentially secure an arrest.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged the frustration that victims of theft suffer when they can see exactly where their stolen property is but nothing is done, saying “That is why we are determined to give the police the powers they need to move fast to crack down on these crimes that are blighting our communities.”

What powers will Police have to enter a home or other premises?

The Crime and Policing Bill is set to introduce measures that will allow Police Officers to enter a property without a warrant if reasonable evidence is deemed available by a Police Inspector.
The Home Office has confirmed that: “Under the new warrantless powers of entry, officers will be able to enter premises identified by electronic mapping if stolen items are believed to be there and it is not practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This can be done through a ‘find my phone’ app, WiFi access points, Bluetooth, mobile network technology or tracking devices attached to any other possession or vehicle.

“It will support the police to act swiftly in the ‘golden hour’ of investigations, which is particularly crucial for investigations into theft, helping to provide swifter seizures of stolen property and providing a better service to victims.”

Want kind of tracking device do I need?

The powers being offered to Police will relate to ‘electronic mapping’ provided by any device, whether it’s an Apple AirTag, MoniMoto or a fully-monitored tracker like BikeTrac or Datatool. Obviously more professional devices like the Thatcham-approved trackers from leading tracking companies will typically provide more accurate location information (Police officers will still need sufficient evidence), and will be a lot faster. These companies also have good links in place with Police Forces across the country, and thanks to their fast response (you might not know your bike’s been stolen for several hours otherwise), can potentially help bring about prosecutions where thieves are caught in possession of the stolen items. For more information on motorcycle tracking devices, click here.

"We at Datatool are in full support of the upcoming changes to the government’s flagship Crime and Policing Bill,” said Dan Balsamini of Scorpion Automotive, which provides tracking technology for cars and motorcycles. “With the continued rise in stolen vehicles, we believe that giving the police more opportunities to act without a warrant will make it easier to recover stolen bikes and secure convictions. This, in turn, will be a powerful step in disincentivising bike theft and tackling the growing problem head-on. With these changes on the horizon, there has never been a better time to consider fitting a tracker to your bike — giving law enforcement the best possible chance of recovering your vehicle quickly and safely."

Bill Taylor of motorcycle tracking specialists BikeTrac said that “This new legislation is particularly good news in regard to the patterns of theft we see when it comes to scooters and motorcycles. Currently we can be very proactive and swift to successfully locate a stolen vehicle thanks to our unique Radio Frequency technology, but it can come to no avail if a warrant is not issued in time.

“Because we can pinpoint a stolen vehicle to within a metre, warrants have been easier to come by for us historically, but with this new legislation the whole process will now in theory be much more efficient, effectively removing that delay where a machine could be moved again. We very much welcome this news.”

What else does the Crime and Policing Bill cover?

The Bill, which is expected to cost £48,650,000 per year once fully implemented, promises to do the following:

• Tackle the epidemic of serious violence, child sexual abuse and violence against women and girls

• Protect the public and our town centres from antisocial behaviour, retail crime and shop theft

• Equip the police and others with the powers they need to combat antisocial behaviour, crime and terrorism

• Rebuild public confidence in policing and the wider criminal justice system

“This flagship Crime and Policing Bill is at the heart of our mission for safer streets and this government’s Plan for Change,” said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. “For too long communities have had to put up with rising town centre and street crime, and persistent antisocial behaviour, while neighbourhood Police have been cut. And for years too little has been done to tackle the most serious violence of all including knife crime and violence against women and children.

“That is why the new Crime and Policing Bill is about taking back our streets and town centres, restoring respect for law and order, and giving the police and local communities the support and tools they need to tackle local crime.”

The Bill promises to make significant changes, with steps including scrapping the effective immunity of prosecution for shop thefts of goods below £200 and greater powers given to the Police to seize off-road bikes used in public places and dangerous e-scooters used on pavements. Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) will be tackled more robustly, a new duty will be introduced to report child sexual abuse, and there’ll be new criminal offences relating to the possession of knives along with many other moves that aim to reduce crime.

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