WEST Midlands Police will be better equipped to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by off-road motorbikes thanks to a new fleet of motorcycles being made available to road policing units.
Neighbourhood policing units can now call on a team of specially trained motorbike officers to deploy to hard to reach areas in search of anti-social off-road bike users who cause havoc in public parks, paths and wasteland.
The fleet of three Honda CRFs, purchased through the Proceeds of Crime fund, will also help search for high-risk missing and vulnerable people and allow police to respond to crime reports in secluded locations and assist with apprehending suspects.
The investment in the new fleet of motorbikes recognises concern from residents about the rise in anti-social behaviour linked to the use of off-road motorbikes in communities in the West Midlands and across the UK.
Sgt Fran Allen, from the force’s traffic unit who unveiled the new fleet, said: “Few things seem to irritate our communities more than anti-social off-road bikers tearing up parks and causing a nuisance on the roads.
“This summer, in your areas, you will see regular operations involving my team working with neighbourhood officers and the drones team to identify and arrest offenders.
“It is illegal to ride any motorbike in public open spaces such as parks, play areas and on pavements.
“If a rider is caught using any type of off-road motorbike or quad bike and causing a nuisance to others they are liable to prosecution and the vehicle will be seized.
“There will be no let-up in our efforts to combat anti-social biking as we head into the summer.”
Anyone with information about bike-related anti-social behaviour in their community call 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Visit this story on our website to watch a video of West Midlands Police officers training on the new off-road bikes.
