Drones proposed for tracking anti-social motorbike riders

A police and crime commissioner has expressed her intention to curb anti-social off-road motorbike activity through the deployment of drones to track riders. Durham Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Joy Allen stated that the initiative had undergone successful trials in three separate operations. She further indicated her aspiration to equip every community neighbourhood area with a drone to address the issue of nuisance riders. The operational procedure involves drones flying overhead to monitor bikers, tracking them back to their residences, after which officers are dispatched to confiscate the vehicles for subsequent crushing. During an appearance on BBC Radio Newcastle’s Hot Seat, Allen explained that due to the significant noise generated by the motorbikes, riders remained unaware of the presence of a drone overhead. Allen stated: “We’ve got the intelligence, we know where they’re riding, we know what times they’re riding and we know where they are.” She added that “The drones follow them back to where they’re being stored so we can confiscate the bikes.” She further emphasized: “We crush the bikes, I’m really keen that they don’t go back into the system.” Allen noted that addressing the problem of nuisance bikers ranked among the “top five” priorities most frequently requested by individuals participating in the PCC’s crime consultation. During the same Hot Seat program, Consett resident Melanie commented: “They’re on the main roads, no helmets, doing wheelies. There’s kids, there’s traffic, there’s elderly people and they’re just doing what they like, where’s it going to end?” Allen asserted that drones would prove more effective in combating bike crime than increasing the number of police officers on patrol. She explained: “When we see the bikes, it’s very difficult because by the time you get there they’ve gone, but still, when it’s reported we’ve got a dot on the map.” She additionally stated that community intelligence was “absolutely key” for directing the drones to appropriate locations. Allen remarked: “We’ve had some absolutely fantastic evidence from the community, there’ve been lock-ups when we’d have never found them if it hadn’t been for the community.” The complete Radio Newcastle Hot Seat interview featuring PCC Joy Allen is currently available for listening on BBC Sounds. Updates from BBC North East can be followed on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas may be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is also available.