Moped Crime Sutton Residents Fight Back

Recently Roundshaw, Hackbridge and St Helier have suffered a spate of moped crime. Locals have been victims of thefts, joyriding and intimidation.

Thanks to our hard working police, Sutton remains one of the safest boroughs in London. However the many reports by residents of moped crime in Roundshaw Downs, Watercress Park Hackbridge and Polters Park St Helier shows that we really do have a problem.

Reports of thefts, joyriding and burn-outs are up, untaxed vehicles tearing through the streets and parks are a nuisance and a danger. Local people have shared stories of reluctantly being forced to sell their motorbikes as they are targeted by thieves, or being ridden into and kicked whilst in the park!

Residents have identified and reported the issues to Councillors and put forward solutions. They even earmarked some funding earlier in the year, but Councillors turned down their proposal and didn’t offer an alternative solution to tackle the problem.

Reacting to the news that a successful police sting, with the help of local intelligence, caught a gang in the act, a Lib Dem councillor said “Gosh, frightening. There have been so many mopeds racing through the area at the moment, the problem seems to be getting worse”.

His complacency was met with derision online, one response summed it up nicely “for a Councillor to appear so surprised is astounding”. This was followed up with “Especially when they live 200 yards from the epicentre of the problem!”

An ongoing petition has already been signed by more than 130 residents demanding action to tackle the issue of mopeds riding up and down a footpath to the Beddington Farmlands, however at the time of writing no Councillors had signed it.

A further questionnaire run through a Neighbourhood Forum identified huge concern about moped crime in Watercress Park by a minority of youths intimidating residents, littering and being a huge danger to children playing.

Despite government cuts to police numbers and Council budgets, we can still tackle the problem. A community Neighbourhood Watch network has started to report moped crime to their Safer Neighbourhoods Team and are calling for the support of the Conservative MP in pressing Lib Dem Councillors to get off the fence and back the solutions proposed by residents, protect the local area and safeguard residents’ access to public open spaces.

When Councillors don’t live locally, they don’t feel the impact of antisocial behaviour and are less motivated to find solutions. Sutton is a fine borough to live in despite government cuts to police funding and youth services in the past decade that has fuelled antisocial behaviour and violent crime - residents’ voices deserve to be listened to.

Labour will put 1,300 extra police officers on London’s streets and put £70million into activities and positive opportunities for young people. Have your say at https://action.labour.org.uk/page/85775/survey/1

Stolen, dumped moped Sutton