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A joint operation between neighbourhood and Specialist Operations teams, using drones to address and prevent criminality associated with off-road and electric bikes, has proved a success.
The Middleton and Heywood neighbourhood policing team was experiencing significant issues with off-road and e-bikes being involved in anti-social behaviour (ASB) and other criminality; while a 15-year-old boy was recently killed while riding an e-bike. The team, which had historically struggled to stop these bikes, recognised the need for a new approach.
Partnering with GMP’s drone unit, the teams launched a joint operation: when neighbourhood patrols spotted a rogue bike, a drone would be deployed to follow it until the rider alighted, thus preventing a pursuit situation, reducing the potential for serious injury to the rider or innocent members of the public, and protecting officers from involvement in incidents of this type.
Over two nights in August, the operation successfully seized four e-bikes, of which one was identified as stolen, and arrested two people: a 19-year-old male who was charged with driving while disqualified, no insurance and fail to provide specimen for analysis, and bailed for taking without consent and dangerous driving; and an 18-year-old male, who was charged with no insurance, no licence and dangerous driving. The second male was initially goading patrols, trying to get a chase, in the belief that the officers would be unable to catch up with him; his charge was only made possible due to the coverage provided by the drone unit.
On another occasion, the unit observed a group of males acting suspiciously in the rear garden of an address, with one in possession of a handgun. Firearms officers conducted a strike, detained the males and located the gun (which turned out to be a BB gun), and located a quantity of cannabis in a shed. The unit also spotted a suspicious van which, on being stopped by neighbourhood officers, was found to contain a large quantity of cannabis; the was driver arrested for possession with intent to supply.
Insp Graham Cooke of Middleton and Heywood neighbourhood policing team said: “The quality of the drone coverage is excellent – the height at which it operates means that offenders are unaware of its presence. It is a fantastic resource, which I will certainly be using in the future.”
Ch Insp Chris Clarke of the Specialist Operations branch said: “The Specialist Operations branch in GMP works closely with our neighbourhood policing colleagues every day in a huge variety of ways, tackling serious criminality or the types of antisocial behaviour that really impact local people. Our fantastic drone team plays a huge part in this, and as well as supporting other operations and large-scale events, they have become particularly adept at targeting off-road and electric bikes.
“These bikes are dangerous in any capacity, but we know they are often used by people committing other types of criminality. In the past they have proven very difficult to identify, locate and catch due to their fast and agile nature. Not any more.” 
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