Court success for Operation Pacify team

Operation Pacify was set up towards the end of March by the Corby Neighbourhood Policing Team in response to ongoing concerns from residents around motorcycle nuisance across the town.

Since the start of the crackdown, the team has seized 29 motorcycles and issued a further four Section 59 warning notices for anti-social driving – one of which was given to a rider who was caught pulling a wheelie near East Carlton Country Park.

A Section 59 warning is placed against both the driver and the vehicle and remains in place for 12-months, which means if either are caught riding or being driven in an anti-social manner, the motorcycle can be seized.

In addition to this, the team has sent 20 postal requisitions to riders for various offences such as driving whilst disqualified, no insurance, no driving licence and dangerous driving.

Nine of the offenders are currently awaiting to make their first appearance before magistrates however, in recent weeks two of the defendants have now been dealt with by the courts.

A 21-year-old man from Corby appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 25, where he pleaded guilty to three charges – dangerous driving, driving with no insurance and no licence.

Connor Burgess of Culross Walk, admitted to the offences after the Op Pacify team filmed him riding a Kawasaki motorcycle dangerously along Dunedin Road on the Kingswood Estate in Corby on Monday, May 16, this year.

Burgess was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, banned from driving for two years and ordered to take an extensive driving test. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, pay £154 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Whilst a 15-year-old Corby boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, received a six-month youth referral order, and WAS banned from driving for 12 months when he appeared before the county’s youth court.

The boy pleaded guilty at Wellingborough Youth Court on Tuesday, August 9, to a total of 12 offences - four counts of riding stolen motorcycles, four of driving with no insurance and four of driving with no licence.

The main reasons behind the success of Operation Pacify has been down to more proactive patrols both on foot and in an unmarked police car, enabling PC Mark Walker and PCSO Gaz Baxter to track down the motorcycles and riders as well as act on community intelligence.

The team has also changed tactics slightly when it comes to capturing evidence, and now use a handheld video camera which allows them to record footage from a distance, removing the dangers of potential pursuits or serious road collisions.

PC Mark Walker, who is leading on Operation Pacify, said: “Over the years, we’ve received complaints about the “nuisance” motorcycles which have plagued our communities - riding on playfields, on footpaths and on our roads.

“This is not only a nuisance - it is also highly dangerous. Not only are the riders putting their own lives at risk, but the lives of their pillion passengers, other road users and pedestrians.

“Since the launch of Operation Pacify, we have noticed a significant decline in the number of persistent illegal motorcycles being ridden in Corby, as well as a drop in reports from members of the public about such activity in their communities.

“We are now starting to see the results of Operation Pacify with some of the most persistent offenders pleading guilty to various driving offences in our courts, after being caught on camera by the team.

“However, there is no room for complacency and still a lot more work to be done, and we need to continue collating intelligence to give us the best chance to seize the motorcycles and deal with the riders appropriately.

“We will continue to actively crackdown on persistent offenders whilst at the same time positively engage with those who ride road and off-road motorcycles legally – which is important to fully recognise and identify the differences.”

Anyone with information about motorcycles which are being ridden illegally in their area should call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Or you can make a report online at www.northants.police.uk/reportonline

Alternatively, if you prefer to remain anonymous, information can be submitted to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

For regular updates on Operation Pacify, follow the team on the Kettering and Corby Facebook page.