http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Edinburgh crime: Balaclava gangs and motorbike thefts need more police resources en Thu, 21 May 2026 03:47:09 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-382324 Sat, 06 Dec 2025 18:59:18 +0000 gembo 382324@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Some of the black hoody e motorcycle gang can pull wheelies for a kilometre, it is totally irresponsible and heinous and yet a wee bit impressive and begs the question why can’t society harness this spirit and make it good? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-382317 Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:06:06 +0000 Frenchy 382317@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Passed Bristo Square earlier as someone was making a shower of sparks with an angle grinder on a bike lock. Turned out to be someone who'd lost their bike lock key (with photos to back this up).</p> <p>Pleasantly surprised that several people had apparently stopped them to ask what was going on. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-380180 Thu, 03 Jul 2025 23:10:57 +0000 gembo 380180@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Stunning work. Frenchy. I blame Lidaldi for selling cheap angle grinders. Polis. On their way. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-380177 Thu, 03 Jul 2025 16:01:55 +0000 jdanielp 380177@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Very brave! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-380176 Thu, 03 Jul 2025 15:55:08 +0000 bakky 380176@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Bravo - that's great stuff. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-380173 Thu, 03 Jul 2025 13:34:12 +0000 Frenchy 380173@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I stopped a group of kids stealing a bike this afternoon. One of them had cut the (cable) lock with an angle grinder, but they all ran away when I grabbed the handlebars. </p> <p>Right in front of the St James Centre, loads of onlookers, absolutely brazen. Several folk were filming, and certainly can't blame any of them for not intervening more directly, given the angle grinder. </p> <p>Owner turned up as I was on the phone to the police. Police said officers were on their way to take a look for the kids and check for possible CCTV. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365185 Fri, 09 Dec 2022 17:22:26 +0000 chdot 365185@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/edinburgh-crime-balaclava-gangs-remain-at-large-despite-police-ending-operation-to-tackle-motorbike-crime-3947660" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/edinburgh-crime-balaclava-gangs-remain-at-large-despite-police-ending-operation-to-tackle-motorbike-crime-3947660</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365125 Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:36:58 +0000 chdot 365125@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/edinburgh-crime-news-manhunt-for-balaclava-gang-including-a-boy-of-10-who-attempted-to-steal-motorbike-after-knocking-rider-off-on-princes-street-3943135" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/edinburgh-crime-news-manhunt-for-balaclava-gang-including-a-boy-of-10-who-attempted-to-steal-motorbike-after-knocking-rider-off-on-princes-street-3943135</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365018 Wed, 30 Nov 2022 20:53:17 +0000 jss 365018@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Lyinching horse thieves in the American west seemed to work<br /> Perhaps not politically correct in 21st century </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365016 Wed, 30 Nov 2022 18:03:06 +0000 mcairney 365016@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This’ll be the tipping point:<br /> “ If tourists think Edinburgh is somewhere that’s not safe to come if you’re on a motorbike that’s bad”</p> <p>I do think the police need to corral and capture 1 or 2 of them to make an example and hopefully discourage the rest of the herd . </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365014 Wed, 30 Nov 2022 17:04:58 +0000 Arellcat 365014@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I encountered two of our wheelie gang while going up Liberton Gardens a while ago. The riders seemed completely unfazed at the prospect of doing so past Howdenhall police station.</p> <p>In Japan they fire paintballs at the vehicles to identify them later. Presumably we can't do that here because a motorbike rider clad in his patented safety hoodie might get injured, and the rider would probably just set fire to the bike afterwards anyway to destroy the evidence. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365013 Wed, 30 Nov 2022 16:05:03 +0000 Dave 365013@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Maybe the city needs to invest in a loitering drone or two and use them to locate whosever garage needs raided... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365012 Wed, 30 Nov 2022 13:03:28 +0000 chdot 365012@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well</p> <p>Knowing who they are is no surprise. </p> <p>Other parts of the city too. </p> <p>BUT</p> <p>What I never understand is why police don’t/can’t work out where motor/quad bikes are stored. </p> <p>Not just talking about ‘steal bike, ride it, dump it’ presumably(?) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365011 Wed, 30 Nov 2022 12:53:14 +0000 dessert rat 365011@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I have a friend who is a beat officer in Niddrie - he says they 100% knows who they are, but as they aren't allowed to chase them and they cant be identified due to balaclava, there is almost nothing they can do. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365008 Tue, 29 Nov 2022 21:16:06 +0000 Cyclops 365008@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>At first they seemed to seek safety in numbers but perhaps due to very few apparently getting caught they're quite happy to ride around solo now. I spotted (and managed to avoid colliding with) a solo rider last week wheelieing down the middle of Hanover St at 9am on a weekday. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21199#post-365000 Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:39:52 +0000 chdot 365000@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/edinburgh-crime-balaclava-gangs-and-motorbike-thefts-need-more-police-resources-3934649" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/edinburgh-crime-balaclava-gangs-and-motorbike-thefts-need-more-police-resources-3934649</a></p> <p>Saw a couple up and down The Mound on Saturday. </p>