London police hail their expanded e-bike fleet as 'game changer' against phone theft
The fleet now totals 25 bikes as officers use the faster two-wheelers to chase suspects through streets and stairs, with phone thefts down about 14,000.
- The Metropolitan Police this week launched an expanded fleet of e-bikes, adding 20 new motorbikes to bring the total to 25, with one senior officer describing the expansion as a "game changer."
- Phone snatching has plagued London, with thieves using agile e-bikes to escape through traffic and alleys; to close the mobility gap, the Met adopted the same high-powered Sur-Ron technology criminals deploy.
- In the 12 months to May, reported phone thefts fell from about 68,000 to 54,000, with the Met's e-bike deployment reducing theft by more than 13,000 offences across London.
- Combining fast motorbikes with drones helps officers close the mobility gap, though fewer than 1% of offenses result in "positive outcomes," prompting Kaya Comer-Schwartz, London's deputy mayor for policing and crime, to stress wider justice system reform.
- With record funding from City Hall, the Met uses innovation to stay ahead of criminals, as London Mayor Sadiq Khan criticized those who "have been trying to talk London down" last month.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Met Police expands electric bike fleet to tackle phone snatchers as Sadiq Khan praises rollout
London's Metropolitan Police has expanded its fleet of electric bikes and mopeds to fight crime on roads across the capital.The Met has increased the size of its own e-bike fleet from five to 25 in a bid to cut street crime using the latest vehicle technology.It described the new vehicles as a "game changer" in the battle against phone theft, which has become a serious issue in London over the last few years.Data suggests that the police's use o…
Daily Maverick
The Straits TimesLondon police hail their expanded e-bike fleet as ‘game changer’ against phone theft
LONDON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - London's Metropolitan Police this week launched an expanded fleet of e-bikes to tackle criminals committing street crimes such as phone thefts in the British capital, with the expansion described by one senior officer as a "game changer".
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