MAG has praised the law enforcement agencies and local authorities for a concerted effort which prevented a repeat of last year’s ugly scenes around the country, when lawless yobs invaded the streets of a number of towns and cities in a deliberate attempt to cause disorder.
Selina Lavender, the Chair of MAG, has expressed her satisfaction at the progress: ‘we were determined to prevent a second round of thuggery on two wheels this year, after the mayhem which was so widely reported in 2016. I’m glad to say that the collective effort, including the police, local authorities and other groups such as We Ride London, the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Community, a very active Facebook group in Birmingham and, of course, MAG, have provided intelligence and collective will to the momentum against these criminals. There was a bit of trouble in Romford at the weekend; however, apart from that, the main activities were children trick-or-treating with their parents and others just having a good time.’
Selina attributes the success to planning and communication. ‘There were a number of arrests before Halloween, with many more potentially being charged. No doubt this had a positive effect, stopping these yobs from thinking they can do what they want in our streets. MAG has communicated with police forces and Councils in all the areas that were most affected in 2016. The law enforcement agencies are the ones that have done the real work on the ground and should be praised for this. I think we’ve learned a lot about what works and it’s also been a good relationship-building process. I want to thank our activists for being so proactive and working with the authorities so effectively. Theft and bike-jackings continue to be a major worry for riders. As far as Halloween goes, the fact that there was no repeat of the anarchy we saw last year is less a matter for celebration than relief.’
Those charged with offences will be tried in due course. MAG believes these prosecutions will be a salutary warning to others that their antics will be repaid with penalties through the courts.
Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org