FOI release
Motorcycle theft
Case reference FOI2026/01987
Received 28 September 2026
Published 4 November 2026
Request
* "Motorcycle" means any powered two-wheeled vehicle, including mopeds and scooters. If your records use a different definition, please say what it is. * "Motorcycle theft" means any recorded offence of theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle (or the equivalent classification in Scotland or Northern Ireland) where the vehicle was a motorcycle. * "2023" and "2025" mean the calendar years 1 January to 31 December. Questions Q2. Motorcycle theft has no Home Office crime classification of its own and is recorded within the general Theft of a Motor Vehicle category. Does your force use any marker, tag, qualifier, internal code or vehicle-type field that allows motorcycle thefts to be identified separately within that category? If so, please describe it and state whether completing it is mandatory. Q3. The number of motorcycles reported stolen in your force area in 2023 and in 2025. If these figures cannot be produced from your crime recording system without a manual review of individual records, please say so, and say what would be needed to make it possible. Q4. Details of any operations, dedicated resourcing or cross-force intelligence-sharing arrangements aimed specifically at motorcycle theft between 1 January 2023 and the date of this request, with approximate dates. Q5. The number of motorcycle theft offences in which a suspect was identified, in 2023 and in 2025. Q6. Of the offences in Q5, the number that resulted in a charge for theft, handling stolen goods or conspiracy, rather than taking without consent alone, in 2023 and in 2025. Q7. The number of stolen motorcycles recovered in 2023 and in 2025. If these figures cannot be produced without a manual review of individual records, please say so. Q8. A copy of any written policy, protocol or guidance on how officers or the control room respond to a live tracker or GPS activation alert on a stolen motorcycle. If there is no motorcycle-specific version, please provide the one that covers stolen vehicles generally. Q9. The number of times since 29 June 2026 an officer has authorised a search under section 26A of the Theft Act 1968 (inserted by section 171 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026) in relation to a stolen motorcycle, and a copy of any written policy or training material on the use of that power. If this power does not apply in your jurisdiction, please say so. Q11. Details of any engagement your force has had on secure motorcycle parking provision since 1 January 2023, with a local authority or otherwise, for example advice from Designing Out Crime Officers or involvement in Park Mark/Safer Parking assessments covering motorcycle parking. If no central record is held, please say so. How to answer Please answer each question under its number, giving figures as 2023 / 2025. Where information is not held, please say so against that question rather than leaving it out. A statement that a figure cannot be produced without a manual review of records is a complete answer to that part of the question. If answering the whole request would exceed the cost limit, please tell me, under your duty to advise and assist, which questions can be answered within it. My order of priority is Q2, Q3, Q7, Q8, Q9, Q5, Q6, Q4, Q11.
Response
See attached
Documents
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