Staffordshire Police Use Drones and Off-Road Bikes to Clamp Down on Theft

Staffordshire Police have taken to the sky and trails, as its latest operation involved Honda CRF300 Rally motorcycles and drones. The operation was designed to apprehend offenders and recover stolen bikes in the Stoke-on-Trent area.

The force deployed officers from a number of units to Park Hall, Werrington and Bucknall in a proactive operation to cut down on anti-social behaviour on roads and green spaces. Two stolen motorbikes were recovered as part of the operation, including one that was found sitting in the back garden of a home.

Staffordshire Police officers were supported by overhead surveillance from a RCT drone pilot and the units reported a total of seven traffic offences that were linked to people not having a valid MOT, not wearing seatbelts in cars and carrying an insecure load.

Inspector Becci Price, deputy Stoke South LPT Commander, said: “This successful operation serves as a positive indication to members of our local communities that we continue to tackle vehicle-related ASB and will employ effective and robust tactics in order to track, locate and deal with suspects.

“On many occasions the actions of those involved have not only been anti-social but also reckless and criminal. Riders risk injuring themselves, other road users and pedestrians. They will be dealt with accordingly through disqualification, arrest and prosecution.”

Called ‘Operation Transom’, the attempt to cut down on theft cannot come soon enough as it remains a big problem in the UK. Increased patrols around hotspot areas and seizing bikes that are used to commit anti-social behaviour (ASB) have been implemented.

Inspector Jody Cruxton, from the RCT, then added: “It was really pleasing to see the reaction from members of the local community during our crackdown on Sunday. One person told officers how they fear their dogs could get killed while they’re being walked in areas that see off-road bike activity, so it was nice to see they were happy with the steps we’re taking to tackle their concerns.

“This operation follows a number of successful off-road operations across the county over recent weeks which has included multiple vehicle seizures and a guilty plea for dangerous driving.

“Over the next year we will be stepping up this capability and increasing the number of officers trained to use our off-road bikes to ensure that frequent, targeted action will be taken wherever we see this behaviour.”