POLICE have teamed up with two of Southampton’s biggest bus operators as they continue their crackdown on nuisance motorcyclists.
Hampshire Constabulary will use CCTV cameras on Bluestar and First Bus vehicles to track down anti-social bikers in areas such as Shirley, Millbrook, Coxford, Lordshill and Redbridge.
It comes just weeks after a police officer was struck in the leg after attempting to deal with a group of bikers on a field in Coxford.
It also comes as angry residents in Lordshill grouped together to say “enough is enough” to one gang, who they claim are “terrorising” their community.
The new CCTV scheme is part of Operation Torque – Hampshire Police’s crackdown on anti-social bikers.
PC Simon Peacock, the officer who set up the operation in 2016, said: “Since January 2016, we have secured 31 convictions relating to motorcycle nuisance in the area.
“We want to make an even bigger impact this year by working in partnership with FirstBus and Bluestar Buses.
“These companies have allowed us to utilise their camera equipment to capture evidence of people riding these motorcycles recklessly on their routes through Shirley.”
Police say they have previously used bus CCTV in the past on a case-by-case basis.
But officers say the new partnership will create an official channel, allowing them to streamline the process of obtaining images as part of their investigations.
The partnership will focus on CCTV cameras installed on buses travelling on Shirley High Street – which run every ten minutes.
Officers hope it will improve their coverage in the area, which often faces problems with nuisance bike riders.
PC Peacock said: “In 2018, we plan to target locations and prolific offenders to secure more convictions.
“We rely on the community to provide us with information on riders they see on paths, in green spaces and on roads, often riding dangerously putting not only road users but also pedestrians at risk of serious injury.”
Yesterday, the Echo reported on a group of residents in Lordshill, who claimed they were being “intimated” by a gang of nuisance bikers.
The residents, in Sinclair Road, said the group were “terrorising” their community and riding dangerously on paths near their homes.
They also accused members of the group of pushing a parked car over a verge and into one of the residents front garden – narrowly missing the house.
Police say there is “no evidence” as of yet it is linked to nuisance bikers.
Copyright: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16191815.Police_team_up_with_Southampton_bus_companies_in_battle_against_nuisance_bikers/
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