WATCH: Illegal e-scooters and e-bikes crushed in fight against crime - as well as to save lives

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has begun plans for ‘Operation Crush’ to come into action. This is where any illegal e-vehicles will be taken and destroyed if it is suspected, or seen, to be involved in any kind of criminal activity.

The plan came into place after police officers reported seeing a large incline of criminal activity involving the e-vehicles. A large majority of those who were arrested, while involved with a e-vehicle, were found to be in possession of drugs and/or weapons on their person.

When talking to Donna Jones about her plans, she said: “Sadly we have had a couple of deaths across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight over the last two or three years as we’ve seen the number of e-scooters and electric modified bikes used in our communities”.

“This has created road safety issues. One of the biggest hazards has been people riding them on pavements, which is incredibly frightening particularly to older and more vulnerable members of the community”.

It is currently not possible for the public to receive an insurance policy for any privately owned e-vehicles within the country due to the current restrictions placed by the government. This has led to the improper uses of e-vehicles and causing those involved to take part in illegal activity.

“Anyone concerned about anyone riding a modified e-bike or electric scooter or a modified electric motorbike, if there is a crime that is in action right now and if they think it is causing a concern, they should phone 999”.

Operation Crush, the campaign behind the seizing and destroying of illegal e-vehicles, has already brought a huge success in the removal of unauthorised vehicles from public spaces.

In 2023, a total number of 41 illegal e-vehicles were seized and destroyed. In 2024 the number of illegal e-vehicles destroyed grew to 105, with expectation for the number to grow increasingly within 2025.

Watch the video embedded in this story to find out more

Police Sergeant Jamie Dobson, of the roads policing unit, finds that the seizing and destroying of these illegal e-vehicles will help bring a decrease to the number of illegal activity within public areas.

He said the following: “The idea of Operation Crush is that once the vehicles have been seized we do dispose of them so that they’re not being returned to the criminals that they were seized from…so therefore they cant continue to use them”.

“When they were seized…there were drugs seized from them and weapons, along with the dangerous use of them and the antisocial use of them”.

With the removal of illegal e-vehicles from the streets, there is hope of a lower crime rate, and improved safety for civilians within their everyday lives.

For more information about the seizing and destroying of illegal e-vehicles, as well as the laws around it, visit: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/advice-escooters/