Police in south Wales have spent more than a year seizing Sur-Rons from Swansea’s streets. Now South Wales Police has a fleet of its own.
The lightweight, high-powered electric motorbikes will let officers cut through traffic and reach narrow roads that patrol cars cannot, the force says, to respond to the issues the public raise, such as drug dealing and theft.
Assistant Chief Constable Tom Williams said: “This new investment is our latest tactic development to tackle criminal activity in our community. As the policing landscape changes, I want to reassure the community that we are developing our capabilities to meet the challenges.”
The force has not said how many bikes it has bought, what they cost or where they will be based.
The bike police keep taking off Swansea’s riders
Sur-Rons are the machines that turn up again and again in the force’s seizures.
In July a Port Tennant 18-year-old was tracked from 1,500ft by a police plane as he sped one across the SA1 footbridge. Officers pulled another out of a city centre underpass during a week of arrests that netted boys of 14.
In law they are motor vehicles, so riding one on a road or public path needs registration, insurance and a licence, unlike a pedal-assist e-bike capped at 15.5mph.
Their slim frames are the point for the force as much as for the riders it chases. Officers on them can respond “in busy, congested areas”, it says, where a car would be stuck.
Swansea’s new three-year street rules, which reach the Promenade and Dyfatty, carry a condition aimed at dangerous e-bike riding. In Port Talbot, two of Vivian Park’s three gates have been shut after 3pm this month while police target riders there.
Six new drones and more pilots, paid for with the Police and Crime Commissioner
The bikes come alongside six new drones, bought between the force and the Police and Crime Commissioner, and training for more drone pilots.
ACC Williams said: “We will continue to invest in technology and the capabilities needed to identify and pursue criminals. This includes expanding our drone team and exploring additional equipment to strengthen the evidence we can gather and increase opportunities to bring offenders to justice.”
Drones already fly over the force’s operations in Swansea, from the Mansel Street vape shop raids to the bike crackdowns, alongside the fixed-wing aircraft of the National Police Air Service.
Emma Wools, the Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “I’m pleased to support this latest expansion in South Wales Police as creating safer communities for everyone is a key priority in my Police, Crime and Justice Plan.”
She added: “This improved capability will enable the force to continue to focus on tackling and responding to the issues in our communities.”
The commissioner has backed a tougher line on the riders too, saying the machines are often used for drug dealing and serious violence. UK Government plans would let police crush seized bikes within 48 hours rather than 14 days.
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