Police in Camden, Islington and Westminster will be teaming up for the launch of Operation Venice, a tri-borough crime prevention and detection tactic looking at moped crimes and theft of mopeds.

Throughout the operation the three boroughs will be working with their partners tackling moped crime and reminding people that they should continue to do all they can do to ensure they think about the security and safety of their mopeds.

"We will be using a variety of tactics at our disposal such as ANPR and vehicle stops"

Since the beginning of April 2014 Camden has had 178 motorcycles and mopeds reported stolen - the value of which is estimated to be £660,000. Islington has had 159 motorcycles and mopeds reported stolen - the value of which is estimated to be £+380,000 and Westminster has had 191, motorcycles and mopeds reported stolen - the value of which is estimated to be +£1,000,000

It is believed that criminals are cutting bike chains (thick chains covered in material have been cut), forcing and breaking steering locks and wheeling them off and they are in some cases lifting them on to or in to a vehicle.

Camden Partnership with Local Authority has developed strategies to reduce these offences which includes, in some locations, the installation of ground anchors and the provision of appropriate locks to residents and visitors to help lock mopeds securely.

Officers are advising people to take the following steps:
    â–ª    Call 999 if they see suspicious activity in around driveways and/or vehicles/motor cycle bays
    â–ª    Lock motorcycles and mopeds in a garage (if possible)
    â–ª    If it is on driveway, motorcycles are to be parked and chained in the corner of a driveway close to house. Block it in with a  vehicle if possible.
    â–ª    Lock all alley gates to ensure suspects cannot get to back of houses and/or garages
    â–ª    If it is chained up, ensure it is chained to something e.g. wall, lamppost, etc
    â–ª    CCTV / dummy cameras will deter criminal activity

Acting Detective Superintendent Raffaele D’Orsi of Camden borough said: “Whilst Camden police officers, Local authority and the wider parternship continue to make Camden a safer place with crime showing a year on year decrease, moped related crimes, were a moped is either stolen or used to commit the crime, continues to challenge us in a number of ways. We will continue to work together across police/local authority borders to take every opportunity to divert, disrupt, detect and prosecute those involved in such criminality.

“Operation Venice is a tri-borough operation working with specialist units from across the MPS and partners working together to tackle moped crime by robust activity against offenders, raising public awareness and engagement with industry."

“We will be using a variety of tactics at our disposal such as ANPR and vehicle stops to identify any mopeds stolen and to give crime prevention advice to their owners to make sure their mopeds are not stolen.”