[keith_d]

Hmm, tricky one.

Knocking someone off their moped seems a little excessive, but I can't think of another reasonable way to stop a determined moped rider.

Maybe sometimes a stinger can be deployed to deflate their tyres, but unlike cars they can just take to the pavement to bypass the stinger. It might also be possible for a PC on a motorcycle to get all over their rear wheel with a chuffing loud siren and harry them until they make a mistake. But I don't think either of these are reliable options.

So, ignoring all the rhetoric about "scumbags deserved it", I don't see that the police have any other way to stop dangerous criminals on mopeds. I wouldn't see it as appropriate for a teenager who rode off without paying for petrol, but for violent criminals who pose a danger to the general public this is probably the best option for stopping them.

Regarding the 35% decrease in moped crime, that probably reflects the fact that the gang targeted by the police was responsible for a large proportion of moped crime in that area. I don't think hard stop tactics are a significant factor in discouraging moped crime.

Just my thoughts,

Keith.