Police battling a surge in young thieves using mopeds to swipe phones from their victims are considering tougher tactics as they claimed one gang carried out 30 robberies in an hour.
A police chief told the Guardian that chasing suspects could be considered, with more covert officers and cars ready to snatch or chase alleged offenders. In one case over the weekend officers pulled a suspect off their bike.
The increase in scooter robberies has hit parts of London, with other parts of Britain also reporting cases. Officers are concerned scooter gangs may increasingly be prepared to use or threaten violence. In one incident a tourist on Park Lane was left with a broken leg after being knocked to the ground by a gang on scooters who stole his watch.
Thieves on mopeds were seen brandishing hammers as they rode round Regent Street last Friday.
Police believe the growth in the thefts could be driven by an increase in the value of spare mobile phone parts, or criminals getting better at bypassing the security of stolen phones.
Chief superintendent Peter Ayling, in charge of policing in Westminster, one of the worst affected areas in London, said: “Phones have become more attractive to steal but it is not clear yet exactly why.
“Offenders are mobile, opportunistic and strike quickly. They choose crowded spaces, but rarely offer violence or use weapons.”
The mopeds or scooters allow the thieves to quickly mount pavements, in one case allegedly weaving in and out of tables, to snatch phones from people. They can strike with such speed that victims barely react. Usually there are two people on the moped, one to drive and one to snatch, with number plates missing or covered on the stolen mopeds.
Last Thursday in the Westminster area, a scooter gang allegedly carried out 30 robberies between 12 and 1pm, allegedly rampaging through the West End of central London.
Police officers need special permission to give chase because of the risk that the young thieves may suffer serious injury, or a member of the public will be hurt by them, as the suspects try to evade capture.
Ayling said: “With bikes there is an increased risk to riders should police pursue. Often they are so reckless in their actions it could expose the public to danger. For that reason the tactics are informed by the standard of driving of the suspect, time of day and apparent risk to all involved.”
Police are deploying more covert officers on foot and unmarked vehicles with highly trained drivers to give chase if commanders decide it can be done safely.
In one case on Oxford Street on Saturday, covert officers saw a suspect and pulled him off his moped before he could strike on one of Britain’s biggest shopping streets. Ayling said: “It’s unusual to get that close and for the bike to be that slow or stopped.
“It is a use of force, and officers have to justify that. It shows officers are prepared to put themselves in danger where there is an opportunity to catch a suspect.”
Police chiefs face a dilemma. A growth in cameras on phones means terrifying pictures of the moped riding thieves have hit the media, exacerbating public concern. Some officers believe the danger posed may justify tougher tactics and it is claimed the scooter gangs feel a sense of impunity because police are reluctant to chase them at high speed amid fears of injury or death.
But the crimes are relatively low level and a chase leading to a death of a young suspect, or bystander, could lead to criticism of the police and ructions in relations with communities.
Behind the surge in scooter gangs are forces linked to changing criminal networks and technology. Ayling said police are hunting down the handling networks profiting from the spare parts from mobile phones or making money from the whole handsets. Police are talking to moped makers about making them harder to steal.
Police also want people to know that robbers believe phones are valuable on the black market again, turning on its head the assumption that boosted security has made smartphones near worthless once stolen. A large number of robberies happen when victims are engrossed in their mobile phones, and less aware of what is happening around them.
Ayling said police are making progress and in his area four of the 12 scooter robber targets have been arrested. There is evidence scooter gangs are working together, swapping bikes to help avoid CCTV and detection by officers before they strike.
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