Five things the London Mayor could blame for moped crime instead of motorcycles
Sadiq Khan has said motorcycle firms should ‘design out’ moped crime. So what about this lot?
THIS week has seen disagreement between London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the motorcycle industry.
Khan wants motorcycle firms to ‘design out’ moped crime in the capital by making bikes harder to steal.
The Motorcycle Industry Association says if there was ‘magic bullet’ that could be fitted to bikes to stop theft, they’d be doing it.
Khan said at a moped crime summit on Tuesday: “This is a problem that cannot be solved with policing alone... It is essential that the manufacturers step up to help us tackle this problem at the source. Put simply, the design of motorcycles make[s] them far too easy to steal and this must be dealt with head-on at the point of design if we are to rid our streets of these crimes.”
But isn't it the nature of motorcycles that makes them stealable? And can we really demand of a company that it design out a crime committed with its product?
If so, here are five other products whose makers should be held to account over moped crime in the capital:
1. Hammers
They seem to be one of the favoured weapons of moped gangs, yet what are hammer makers doing about it? If you ask me, the design of hammers makes them far too easy to hit people on the head with.
2. Balaclavas
The crims like to hide their faces in these and it is essential that the makers step up and help us tackle the problem. Put simply, there is hole in the neck of these devices which makes them far too easy for criminals to put on.
3. Acid
What are acid producers doing to make their acid less acidic? Or more difficult to squirt? It should be solid, and water: ice.
4. Mobile phones
Anything so portable and valuable is a crime waiting to happen. Why aren’t they wired into a terrestrial network so they can’t be moved? And what are the manufacturers doing to make them more worthless?
5. Knives
This is a problem that cannot be solved with policing alone. Can I suggest spoons?
More than 23,430 crimes were committed using motorcycles in London last year. I’m working with @metpoliceuk to tackle moped crime – but it’s time for manufacturers to step up and design anti-theft measures into their vehicles to help keep Londoners safe https://t.co/BSRl4PNshw
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 23, 2018
