CAMARM Final Solution

You can download this excellent document in PDF format by clicking HERE

It deals with the powers that the police already have under existing UK legislation to deal with the problem of illegal motorcycling, and it illustrates these by means of case studies.

Four of these case studies describe the equipping of separate police forces with all-terrain trail-type motorbikes to patrol and to pursue and arrest offenders.

Case Study 2 on page 5: "The [Safer Swansea] partnership has linked up with South Wales Police, who are now using 'all-terrain bikes'. These bikes will be able to gain access to areas that are currently inaccessible to patrol cars."

Case Study 4 on page 6: "Police on trail motorbikes in Humberside are patrolling rural bridleways to clamp down on nuisance riders and are catching unqualified and uninsured bikers on country paths. ... Officers are using trail bikes because motorcyclists can easily escape across country when approached on foot or in a police car."

Case Study 6 on page 7: "Killingbeck [West Yorkshire] off Road Motocycle unit was formed in June 2001 to deal with the high volume of complaints about youth nuisance and the illegal use of motorcycles on rights of way and off road.

Case Study 7 on page 8: "The Police and the Borough's Park Ranger Service have been mounting joint patrols since August 2003 when Bromley's Community Safe Partnership handed distinctive yellow off-road bikes to the police. Since then the police have patrolled the area together with the park rangers."

In one way these case studies are encouraging. They show that a partnership of community and police that is sufficiently determined and is prepared to devote sufficient resources can defeat the problem of rogue motorcycling. The police and the communities deserve full congratulations.

Viewed in another way, however, the case studies are horrifying. First, they appear to be an admission of defeat that the problem cannot be overcome in any other way. Second, the method involves adding to the problem of damage and nuisance, albeit temporarily, in order to stop it.

The method is undoubtedly very effective, but it must be viewed as a drastic, last-resort measure to be adopted only if all else fails.

CAMARM believes that,
in order to avoid having to resort to such extreme action,
the solutions proposed by CAMARM must be made to work.