From [redacted]
To [redacted]
19/06/2024 @ 09:56
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
12/06/2025 @ 11:22
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
12/06/2025 @15:57
Subject:
Good Afternoon Both,
I hope you are well.
The Home Office has recently announced a public consultation on the new measures to fast-track the disposal of cars, e-scooters or off-road bikes being used in an anti-social way to 48hrs rather than 14 days.
The OPCC is planning on submitting a formal response to the consultation and is keen for WMP’s perspective and input in this process. The roads team has already been contacted for comment but we require additional perspective from an ASB side too. Could you provide me with this please? The links to the consultation and press release are included below for your information:
Amends to legislation on vehicle removal, storage and disposal – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Police to crush vehicles used antisocially in 48 hours – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The deadline for our response is the 8th July. In order to meet this deadline and accommodate our own internal processes therefore, I require your response by the 23rd June at the latest but ideally, the 19th. I appreciate this is a tight deadline but it is important to collate a joint response.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Thank you in advance.
Best wishes
[redacted]
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
12/06/2025 @16:02
Subject: RE:
[redacted]
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
13/06/2025 @ 14:07
Subject: ASB Vehicle Consultation
Good Afternoon Both,
I hope you are well.
The Home Office has recently announced a public consultation on the new measures to fast-track the disposal of cars, e-scooters or off-road bikes being used in an anti-social way to 48hrs rather than 14 days.
The OPCC is planning on submitting a formal response to the consultation and is keen for WMP’s perspective and input in this process. The roads team has already been contacted for comment but we require additional perspective from an ASB side too. I have today, taken the matter to the ASB/POPS working group for initial feedback from direct practitioners but require a more formal response on behalf of WMP as a whole from yourselves.
The deadline for our response to be returned to the HO is the 8th July. In order to meet this deadline and accommodate our own internal processes therefore, I require your response by the 23rd June at the latest, but ideally the 19th. I appreciate this is a tight deadline but it is important to collate a joint response. In order to meet this deadline, it was agreed at the working group that [redacted] would reach out to the LPAs for comment, collate the responses and provide them to you by early next week to form the formal response.
The links to the consultation and press release are included below for your information:
Police to crush vehicles used antisocially in 48 hours – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Amends to legislation on vehicle removal, storage and disposal – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Thank you and best wishes,
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
18/06/2025@ 11:10
Subject: FW: Govt consultation re proposed amendments to vehicle seizure & disposal legislation Importance: High
Hi [redacted]
As per my email reply just now. Please see [redacted] email below sent to WMP ASB Leads for their feedback, including the link to proposed legislation amendments and consultation link.
e do need feedback asap if possible (we are meeting tomorrow afternoon to start collating feedback and drafting our proposed consultation response).
Thanks
Kind regards
[Redacted]
OPCC Policy Team – Policing and Prevention Policy
M: [redacted]
T: 0121 626 6060
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
18/06/2025 @14:57
Subject: RE: Govt consultation re proposed amendments to vehicle seizure & disposal legislation
Hi [redacted]
Are you able to please have a look at the below from the OPCC’s Team.
Is this something you can contribute towards through your wider work?
[redacted]
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
18/06/2025 @ 16:12
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
18/06/2025 @ 19:12
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
19/06/2025 @ 08:46
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
19/06/2025 @ 08:58
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
19/06/2025 @ 10:22
Subject: Home Office Consultation – Seized Vehicles (WMP Response)
Sir,
I have collated the responses from each LPA to inform the WMP response for the Home Office Consultation on seizure/disposal of vehicles that was shared by OPCC late last week.
The target date back to OPCC [redacted] by end of play today. As this is a response on behalf of WMP I thought it prudent for FET oversight and amendments are necessary before submission into OPCC.
OPCC will be producing a joint submission back to Home Office.
Submitted for review – I appreciate that [redacted] has provided a detailed update. This submission is from across the LPAs.
Kind regards,
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
19/06/2025 @ 10:25
Subject: FW: Home Office Consultation – Seized Vehicles (WMP Response)
[redacted]
Copy of the collated responses from across the LPAs. Any questions please come back to me.
From: [redacted]
To: [redacted]
19/06/2025 @09:27
Subject: Proposal to Crush Seized Vehicles in 48 Hours
Whilst this relates mainly to off road bikes and e- bikes / scooters, the rationale for supporting the proposal is just as relevant to all vehicles used in an anti-social manner on our roads – however this is already well documented.
Please let me know if you require more information specifically to cars involved in ASB
Off road Bikes / E bikes / scooters
Whilst we in the West Midlands have not had the level of incidents that some other forces have had relating to E-Bikes used in crime/ASB, it is clear that such behaviour is becoming more commonplace, and the use of E-bikes that resemble scrambler style motorbikes is becoming the more popular method of transport for criminals and those committing ASB across the county/nationally.
Intelligence suggests this is mainly due to the speed and agility of these vehicles, which have often been modified by the owners to exceed the limitations of the manufacturers factory specifications, meaning speeds of up to and beyond 70 mph are easily achievable, making them ideal getaway transport.
The majority of cases that have occurred in force have taken place across the Western side of the force but this is likely to spread to all areas moving forward as we continue with the warmer weather and the ‘culture’ of such behaviour evolves and spreads, as well as the availability of the vehicles being strong.
Intelligence and evidence from such incidents suggests that none of the riders are wearing protective helmets and are mainly only wearing full face coverings, which not only adds a risk to themselves, but also hides their identity. They often travel in groups of up to 6 riders and when you add in the speeds involved, as well as the number of construction and use offences, Including
Insurance/MOT/registration/licence offences, not displaying VRM plates etc. it is clear that we need to address this behaviour moving forward – especially in regard to the PCC’s ambition to improve road and travel safety.
From an ASB perspective specifically, the presence of such vehicles in our communities, with riders clearly intent on breaking the law by hiding their identify, riding in packs, riding off road, speeding, having no regard for public safety, and driving on pavements etc. will cause a very intimidating and frightening experience for all persons in the vicinity and impact significantly on public safety. The community will expect us to take positive and targeted activity to protect them and the proposal to crush such vehicles – as well as other vehicles used In such a way –in 48 hours is a welcome tactic.
From a tertiary prevention perspective it is vital that we seek to stop such vehicles being used by criminal networks – especially as they are currently often being further ‘adapted’ in terms of speed and noise before resale – at the earliest opportunity.
We face significant challenges once they are on the road due to the fact that currently no nationally approved intervention tactics in the pursuit management of such vehicles exist. There are potential methods of stopping these E bikes without using direct force, but they do come with a high risk of collateral damage and should only be used in extreme circumstances, but are not yet approved for deployment as a tactic. Therefore preventing those that are seized coming back onto the streets is a vital tactic that we should utilise on a national level to ensure the message is clear from policing that we will tackle this issue head on and take a robust approach to protecting our communities.
We also have to consider that existing legislation in the form of PSPO’s / Community Protection Notices / Warning is of very limited use in this arena due to the transient nature of the offending, the lack of ability to identify the offenders or the vehicles involved and the lack of effective pursuit and control tactics available to us.
Therefore utilising the proposed approach will reduce the number of bikes on the road, send a clear message to those committing such ASB / Crime and also provide reassurance to our communities that we are taking positive targeted action to protect them from harm.
In terms of balance it is important that we consider the risk that such a change in approach may potentially reduce the opportunity for those who have held these bikes legitimately, had them stolen and then used criminally, from having their vehicles returned. This is based on the fact that to destroy them in such a short space of time reduces significantly the chance to identify the owner and return the vehicle.
From: [redacted]
To: [redacted]
19/06/2025 @10:18
Subject: RE: Proposal to Crush Seized Vehicles in 48 Hours
Good Morning [redacted]
Thank you for this comprehensive and thoughtful response and to the wider team for all the work that has gone into putting it together in such a short time span. The concentration on bikes and scooters is appropriate and expected, with the roads team also having been invited to contribute to the consultation there is no need for further information on cars specifically.
We are due to have our meeting within the OPCC regarding the consultation, the views of WMP, and our response this afternoon and will update you these outcomes in due course.
Thanks again.
Best wishes,
From: [redacted]
To: [redacted]
19/06/2025 @ 14:00
From: [redacted]
To: [redacted]
19/06/2025 13:36
From [redacted]
To [redacted]
01/07/2025 @17:53
Subject: FW: Query re Q6 answer – consultation response letter re the proposed amendments to legislation re vehicle seizure and disposal
Importance: High
Dear [redacted]
Would you be able to help us with the highlighted section please? Its about seized vehicles so if we could just look at the overall inflation from 2021/22 to 2025/26 on that service area, that would be amazingly helpful. Apologies for the last minute request, if we can, we’d like to have this to the PCC on Thursday.
Much thanks
‘Question 6. Could you provide evidence on how your costs have changed since fees were last updated in 2021?
Please provide details on the proportional change in costs you have faced, which costs have change, and what fee change would offset this change.’
From: [redacted]
To: [redacted]
03/07/2025 @09:29
The workings … income.
From: [redacted]
To: [redacted]
10/07/2025 @ 12:41
Subject: FW: WM PCC response re Consultation on amendments to secondary legislation on the police removal, storage and disposal of vehicles
Dear all
Please find attached final version of the Consultation response letter which we submitted to the Home Office on Monday.
We took our draft response to OPCC’s SMT and Political Liaison Group, and it was then slightly amended and approved by Simon Foster – PCC. It’s been sent in Simon’s / PCC’s name.
Re question 6: SMT, PLG and Simon (PCC) concluded that, in order for WMP to be able to fully recover the actual costs of seizing and disposing of these vehicles, the fees should be increased by 50%.
Thank you from [redacted] and I for your, and your colleagues, expert input into formulating this joint response – we really appreciate it. Please pass this email, and our thanks, onto anyone else you think is appropriate and / or helped contribute to the consultation response.
It’ll be interesting to see the wider results of their consultation and what amendments Government may make to the legislation as a result.
[redacted]
OPCC Policy Team – Policing and Prevention Policy