Petition: Crack Down On Motorcycle Theft

[advrider]

The UK has a problem, a big problem: In many areas, motorcycles just aren’t safe. Riders are having their machines stolen by organized crime elements and also random street thugs—and in many places, the justice system seems unconcerned. Now, one rider is aiming to change that with a petition on Change.org.

The petition from Xander James is titled “Impose tougher sentences & make operation yellowfin permenant.” The grammar and spelling might be a bit off, but we can empathize with what he has to say:

As we know, motorcycle & vehicle theft is the highest it’s ever been, this is partly due to the minimal sentences from the Crown Prosecution Service & the fact Operation Yellowfin is on limited hours.

We need change. We can’t safely park our vehicles outside our own homes anymore! But with the Crown Prosecution Service handing out cautions & early release they keep doing it.

With the cost of living so high, many of us can’t afford to keep replacing our property that is targeted by these thieves, along with this we can’t even safely park our vehicles outside our home, workplace or practically any public space without an ever increasing risk of theft.

The comments below the petition are filled with stories of bike theft victims, who’ve seen their machines ripped off and then their insurance rates hiked:

Having one of my bikes stolen by some little scrat ends, then my insurance going up is beyond a joke when it’s out of my control. And if anyone ever gets caught it will be a slap on the wrist and a ankle tag that they will still going out pinching while wearing. It needs to stop. Either the police sort it or everyone will take it upon themselves

I’m signing because its time to come down harder motorcycle theft. The thieves are armed and will threaten anyone who trys to stop them with violence.

As part of James’s petition, he’s asking that Operation Yellowfin be put back to full-time funding. This was a police operation that was specifically aimed at preventing motorcycle theft—see more details here.

See James’s petition here, and it would be great if inmates would sign it. While this problem is an ocean’s crossing away from most of us, the people affected are riders like us, and who knows? Maybe police could learn lessons in this UK battleground that could be applied here in North America. Maybe Operation Yellowfin could be replicated in California, for instance?

Because, while this is a UK petition aimed at a UK problem, we have the same issue here. Motorcycle thefts rose in the US in 2021, with 52,000 machines stolen and less than half of those recovered.

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