How To.. tackle antisocial behaviour on wheels

Westminster combines warnings of police action with moped training

When teenagers get hold of unlicensed mopeds, the resulting noise and dangerous driving can cause a nuisance to neighbours. This is the situation Westminster council found itself in earlier this year, when residents of Queen’s Park, west London, were disturbed by moped riders riding on pavements and intimidating pedestrians late into the night.

The council decided to take action through Civic Watch, a partnership with police, the fire brigade and local arm’s-length management organisation Citywest Homes that aims to tackle fly-tipping, graffiti and antisocial behaviour.

Civic Watch managed to cut complaints by 90%, from an average of seven calls a week to just two or three a month. But it didn’t use antisocial behaviour orders as a first resort. It took a carrot-and-stick approach: combining warnings of police action with offering teenagers free motorcycle driving tests.

First, you need to identify who’s causing the trouble. For Queen’s Park, it was fairly easy: the complaints were all about young people driving bikes outside the local youth club. Cara Donald, liaison officer at Civic Watch, explains: “We were aware a lot of the kids with mopeds accessed this youth club, so we could identify who they were.”

You could also get information about who is responsible from your council’s youth offending team – which includes representatives from the police, probation service, social services, health, education, drugs and alcohol misuse and housing – or from the police directly. Westminster council’s Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership gave it access to data about riders who had been stopped by police.

Start by making the legal and enforcement situation clear: Civic Watch produced leaflets in-house saying mopeds were causing trouble and making too much noise in the area. They also pointed out that moped riders needed licences and road tax; otherwise, police could confiscate the bikes and arrest riders. These were delivered to all 5000 households in the area by community wardens, who also handed leaflets to teenagers while walking round the estate.

The leaflets had an impact on parents as well as children, says Donald. “Many were not aware they needed licences and tax. They thought the bike would be a one-off cost and several said they wouldn’t have bought their kids the bikes if they’d known.”

Police presence

For the kids, the training course is a great thing: this is messing about on bikes and a day out

You could also work with police to get them to increase patrols in the problem area: Westminster got six new community officers in April. This upped police visibility and meant the officers were able to supply information about where riders hung out.

Rather than trying to stop teenagers using mopeds, try getting them to use them safely. Westminster offered to send local riders on a one-day course to learn road safety and take their compulsory bike tests.

“These kids may not have had any experience in dealing with other road users,” says Donald. The offer was open to everyone in the area and advertised in the youth centre, but the patrols also approached teenagers who didn’t attend the club via youth workers.

Donald arranged training for 36 people with the North London Motorcycle Training School. The first course took place this autumn and there is another planned for February half term. The training costs £70-90 for a day, which includes taking the test. It was funded by the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership. “For the kids, it’s a great thing: this is messing about on bikes, they have a day out and get lunch,” says Donald. “It was a treat.”

To go on the course, the teenagers must first get a provisional licence, which the council asks them to arrange themselves. Westminster also requires each person to sign a good behaviour contract pledging not to ride mopeds illegally or be offensive to police. If they break it, they forfeit membership of the youth club.

It’s a good idea to follow up after the training: Westminster’s youth workers kept in contact with teenagers after they’d taken the test and offered help with getting good insurance deals and organising tax. Donald also has a plan to offer some the incentive of further training – this time, the police’s own motorcyclist training in safer riding.