The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has launched the Fight Motorcycle Theft Pledge ahead of May’s Police and Crime Commissioner elections. MAG is pushing for motorcycle theft to be given the profile it deserves.
Riders can take advantage of elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) coming on May 2nd this year. MAG intends to create accountability for performance against clear goals. It will achieve this by pushing all candidates to make the pledge as part of their election campaigns.
MAG research confirms what riders instinctively know – motorcyclists are disproportionately impacted by vehicle theft. A motorcycle owner is 11 times more likely to suffer theft of their vehicle than a car owner. Motorcycles constitute over a quarter of all reported vehicle theft despite being only 3% of the available targets for thieves.
MAG is asking all incumbent and candidate PCCs to make a clear, achievable and deliverable three-part pledge. Firstly, candidates will set a quantifiable four-year goal. Secondly, they will pledge to hold the relevant Chief Constable accountable for publishing progress towards the goal. Finally, they will pledge to work in partnership with all stakeholders on the issue.
MAG’s Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown said:
“Those candidates who are prepared to make the Fight Motorcycle Theft Pledge are likely to win more motorcyclists’ votes than those who don’t. We are confident that the pledge is reasonable and deliverable, so there is little excuse for any candidate not to make it. After the elections we will have a firm basis for a clear measure of accountability. We all know politicians have a habit of making promises and then failing to deliver. Candidates who make the pledge will have a hard time forgetting it once they are elected: we will make sure of that. Every rider in the country can play their part in reducing motorcycle theft by asking PCC candidates if they have signed up to the Fight Motorcycle Theft Pledge.”
Full details of the Fight Motorcycle Theft Pledge are available on the Fight Motorcycle Theft campaign page.
MAG will advertise which candidates make the pledge to help riders make informed decisions on polling day, May 2nd, 2024.