New tactics by London's Metropolitan Police Force to combat drive by thieves on motor cycles, is to knock them off their bikes! Some interesting video in the news article, and to date no serious injury to the thieves. Drive by thefts reduced by more than a third and falling!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-46321720

I've been in London several times and know of this. Never happened to me personally, though. But I think the police should have done this long time ago. Good job.

Although I have as intense a hatred for overt criminals as anyone does, I have to reserve judgment on this.

The assumption at this point, is that the police have correctly identified the criminal, and are using this method to terminate the pursuit. The assertion that no one has been "seriously injured" yet, isn't comforting, because I've seen a number of other "clever" short cuts to dispense justice, which seemed to be win-win ideas at first, ending up causing serious problems.

I approve of the way that some well-trained police here in the US will use a specific highway move to end a high-speed chase, by bumping the pursued vehicle in a planned way that causes it to spin out. That can backfire as well, if not done correctly, and especially isn't used in high population areas. The Brits appear to be doing this in the middle of busy city streets, which could be problematic.

I notice that in some of the films in that link, that the perp didn't JUST fall down. Sometimes they crashed into other things and people, who might have been innocents injured by the move.

So we'll see.

I understand from news reports these tactics are only used in the London area at the present time. Over the past year or so these Drive-by thefts by young people on small motorcycles, snatching mobile phones, or carrying our muggings before driving off, has sharply increased in London. I was surprised to see the Police take this kind of action, but the results so far seem positive, maybe the ends justify the means.

I wouldn't know how these police officers stop these guys on motorcycles. I do know, that since I ride, taking these guys on has to be like tackling a charging bull. Even a small one is about 200 pounds. Add a rider, that's 400+ on the move. Certainly, these guys are not just putting away leisurely. Just wait. One of these times, they'll send a riderless bike cartwheeling into a crowd. Put one on a midsize bike, send a 4-500 pound bike off like that, You'll get casualties.

Momentum + steel= Not a good outcome.

Maybe, but I don't agree. British police has for too long being reluctant to use force to stop rising crime in cities. The criminals has lost their respect for the police. And that will just go one way - more crime.

Police everywhere are trained to balance the risk factors. Yes, sometimes it's goes wrong. But do you blame the police or the criminals for that?