I am deeply concerned, frustrated, and angry about the recent decision to completely disband the Leeds District Off-Road Bike Team (ORBT). The consequences of this short-sighted decision extend far beyond the bikers; it will directly fail every single resident of Leeds who is affected by the menace of bike related crime.

 

For years, the Leeds Off-Road Bike Team has been dedicated to keeping our city safe. They are the only shield we have against the illegal, and dangerous off-road activities of highly mobile criminals. Their specialised knowledge, equipment, and experience play a vital role in curbing bike-enabled crime, which remains a persistent, evolving threat to the safety of our neighborhoods.

The Chief Officer Team has, this week, decided to disband the ORBT and absorb them into generic local neighbourhood teams. Why? It is entirely about money. It is a box-ticking exercise to meet the changing criteria for the Neighbourhoods Uplift Grant (NUG). The force is required to uplift neighbourhood policing in order to receive a multi million funding pot. 

What makes this decision truly baffling is that the entire team already fall under the Neighborhood Policing umbrella. In order to meet the NUG requirements officers that cover the whole city and support local policing aren't counted. 

 

Dismantling a highly dedicated and effective team, who have made a measurable difference, just to satisfy a bureaucratic headcount, exposes a massive failure of management.

Our communities are being forced to suffer for a combination of systemic incompetencies.

The Chief Officer Team has failed to manage staffing levels, retention and recruitment properly over the years. Instead of recruiting the numbers our city actually needs, they are disbanding an essential front-line team to cover administrative gaps. This is being forced by the Home Office who have created a ridiculous mess. They have shifted the goalposts for the NUG grant, expecting police forces to also hit new neighbourhood targets while simultaneously pressuring them to reduce overall PCSO numbers.

 

This team isn’t there to target law-abiding motorcyclists; they are there to help them by going after the serious criminals using bikes as tools.

By using motorbikes the team get into the alleys, woods, and estates where standard police cars and foot patrols can't go. They don't just tackle anti-social behaviour—they disrupt motorcycle theft, house burglaries, robberies, County Lines drug networks, and Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE). The team are also vital in looking for missing people, quickly accessing areas that others can't. Beyond this they also offer help and support to modern day slavery teams and Immigration Enforcement Officers.

Disbanding this team is a massive step backward. We need to invest in and support these specialists, not dismantle them.

Community safety should always be the priority, ignoring this will lead to increased crime rates and a total collapse in community trust.

I urge West Yorkshire Police senior leadership, the Home Office, and relevant authorities to reconsider this decision and ensure that this essential team remain for the foreseeable future, not just until the next NUG uplift.

Let's prioritise the safety of Leeds residents and preserve the team that has made a significant, irreplaceable difference in reducing crime.

 

 

 

Sign this petition to show your support for a safer Leeds and ensure the Leeds Off-Road Bike Team continues their crucial work.