Hansard

PE1971, which was lodged by Kenneth Clayton on behalf of the Motorcycle Action Group, calls for robust action to stop motorcycle theft. The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to increase the actions available to prevent and reduce motorcycle theft by empowering the police to pursue and tactically engage thieves and by reviewing sentencing policy to allow the courts to implement tougher punishment for those who are convicted of motorcycle theft, including the use of mandatory custodial sentences for those who carry weapons or groups who threaten individuals with violence. Kenneth Clayton tells us that there has been an increase in the number of motorcycles that are being stolen in cities, with Edinburgh being particularly affected. He goes on to highlight concerns that the current police policy not to pursue or engage means that thieves behave with impunity, a position that is out of sync with that of other police forces across the UK. The Scottish Parliament information centre briefing notes that Police Scotland has taken targeted action to tackle motorcycle theft and associated antisocial behaviour in Edinburgh through operation Soteria, which saw police recover £600,000 of stolen motorbikes. In responding to the petition, the Scottish Government states that there is “a wide range of effective actions currently available to Police Scotland to prevent and reduce motorcycle theft”. As the use of those actions would be an operational matter, however, the Scottish Government has indicated that the committee might wish to explore them further with the chief constable or the Scottish Police Authority. In relation to the petition’s call for mandatory custodial sentences, the Scottish Government has indicated that judges are best placed to decide on the appropriate sentence for each offender. The Scottish Government also notes that the Scottish Parliament has previously rejected calls for mandatory sentencing on the basis that it removes discretion from the court. Do members have any comments or suggestions for action on the petition? We could do with some clarification in the first instance.