‘Out of Control’ Motorcycle Thefts Lead to Protests
Bikers in Leeds have taken to the streets as bike theft is on the rise with up to “five or six” bikes being snatched
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Bikers in Leeds have had enough of rising motorcycle thefts, leading to protests outside police stations and criticism of the legal system.
The bikers, led by Steve Dean who set up the West Yorkshire MotorBike Crime Facebook group, claim that between five and six bikes can sometimes be stolen in the city in a single day, and they highlight a flawed legal system as one of the driving forces behind the rise in thefts.
“People are getting their bikes stolen and then getting a crime reference number and that’s the end of it.” Dean said speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post (YEP).
“Something really needs to change so that police can do more. People are getting frustrated. We have spoken with the off-road [policing] team and they say they are doing what they can but they are limited in what they can do and that there needs to be a change of the law.
“They [thieves] think to themselves ‘well, the police won’t do anything so let’s just do it’ … They are just doing it [stealing bikes] blatantly. It’s getting out of hand.”
One of the protests organised by the group took place outside the Elland Road Police Station, with more than 30 frustrated bikes showing up to express their anger at the seeming lack of activity from the Police.
YEP also reports that as a result of a previous story on motorcycle crime in the region, a West Yorkshire Police Spokesperson released the following statement.
“We recognise there are concerns in Leeds District regarding motorbike-related crime and are aware of instances where stolen motorbikes have been advertised for sale on social media.
“Enquiries are ongoing to identify those responsible and we will take positive action where people are found to be in possession of, or using a stolen motor vehicle.
“We also work closely with our partner agencies to tackle vehicle theft and would ask anyone who believes they have information about a stolen motor vehicle to report it by calling 101, or using our livechat facility on the West Yorkshire Police website.”
