….because they are
terrified the little darlings might fall off and hurt themselves!
Dr Hira Virdee plans to use data science and analytics to follow suspected moped criminals and then alert police to their whereabouts.
The 28-year-old launched @MopedSpotted after he was mugged for his mobile phone while walking in Lincoln’s Inn Fields last month. He jumped in a taxi and gave chase to the four youths on three mopeds — who then snatched a phone from another victim nearby.
Dr Virdee reported the thefts to the police but two days later he received an email from the Met saying that they were taking no further action because there were no leads.
After two days? Didn't try very hard, did they?
He said: “I understand the police are overwhelmed but I doubt whether they followed up all the CCTV leads they could have.
“I decided if no one else was going to collect evidence then there was an opportunity for someone else to collect information on moped crimes and suspects.”
The Twitter account asks people to report sightings of possible moped suspects so they can be tracked in real time. The information can then be passed to police.
Dr Virdee, who has a PhD in physics and engineering and works for a data company, says he has already tracked one suspect group in Finsbury Park.
He said: “It means we can quickly identify hotspots of crime and build up a picture of where these criminals are operating. I get a lot of cab drivers reporting sightings of mopeds.”
So you're doing the Met's job alongside your own, one your taxes pay for, and they are doing...well, what, exactly?
He'd better watch out. If he makes a rude tweet about these crims the fuzz will be round in a blink.
ReplyDeleteGood for him. Hope it gives some results.
ReplyDelete:o)
" I doubt whether they followed up all the CCTV leads"
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to the Met-and as the coppers/former coppers here have no doubt said many time: CCTV is as much a bane as it is a boon...maybe more so. As was nicely demonstrated by The London Bridge Jogger last week.
Also people reporting moped thefts and videoing the perps is all well and good until one of the 'reporters' gets acid thrown in their face for their troubles.
" So you're doing the Met's job alongside your own, one your taxes pay for, and they are doing...well, what, exactly?"
ReplyDeleteLet me guess...snacking, fornicating, taking risque snaps from helicopters, selling seized drugs, sleeping on the job, moonlighting, filling in compensation claims?
Don't knock ordinary coppers: it's the Common-purpose graduates at the top who lay down priorities and procedure. Ordinary rank & file plod is as sick of it as we are.
ReplyDeleteIt's a twitter account, it doesn't add any great value at the moment. As BD said CCTV is as much a bane as a blessing. Remember someone has to trawl around all the people who may have CCTV and then recover it, surprisingly it comes in a number of different formats requiring different systems. Some of the CCTV is of better quality than others. Remember this all then has to be viewed by an individual, which is a time consuming process and labour intensive.
ReplyDeleteArrests and charges are being made amongst them, as the twitter feed shows, but I would imagine it is a time consuming and complicated job. Police are reluctant to chase for very good reasons - would you be prepared to put your liberty at risk when you are, in effect, doing your job?
My tip for the future is to look for 'Rodeos' as currently favoured in the more vibrant Parisian estates and wait for halloween when they will have a ride out.
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Always face the oncoming traffic.
ReplyDeleteCan't see why the plod can't use hard pursuit tactics and ram one or two of these little sods. Those whose skulls have been shattered and forced into their grey matter have a zero re-offending rate, post cremation. It might even encourager les autres...
ReplyDelete"He'd better watch out. If he makes a rude tweet about these crims the fuzz will be round in a blink."
ReplyDeleteI'm only surprised they haven't paid him a visit to warn about encroaching on their turf!
"Good for him. Hope it gives some results."
Time will tell....
"As was nicely demonstrated by The London Bridge Jogger last week. "
A poor workman blames his tools...
"Ordinary rank & file plod is as sick of it as we are."
Yet if they stay in the job and carry out the orders, nothing will change.
"My tip for the future is to look for 'Rodeos' as currently favoured in the more vibrant Parisian estates and wait for halloween when they will have a ride out."
I've googled and only got the expected results! I'm assuming this is a new crime tactic?
Nope, a 'rodeo' in France is when the local youth stage displays of their riding prowess on roads around the estates. I am well aware that similar things happen here but the French youth take it to a slightly higher level and police intervention usually results in a proper riot. Here is an example
ReplyDeletehttp://www.20minutes.fr/paris/2116651-20170813-ile-france-rodeos-sauvages-plaie-villes-banlieue-dilemme-policiers?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=Echobox&xtref=twitter.com&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#link_time=1502610938
It's widespread over there and the French police are having problems containing it, I don't know how much the French riders are mixed up in other villainy but these ideas have a habit of spreading.
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