Silverlake Automotive Recycling [Silverlake] is helping Hampshire & IOW Constabulary [HIOWC] to deal a crushing blow to criminals by destroying e-scooters and electric motorcycles seized in its ‘Operation Crush’ crackdown.
More than 100 vehicles have been crushed in 2024, the first year of the campaign since the force enhanced the powers of its officers to destroy any e-scooter or e-motorcycle that is being used in crime or in a way that creates risk of injury. By destroying the vehicles for HIOWC, Silverlake is helping to ensure they cannot end up back on the region’s roads threatening public safety or back in the hands of criminal gangs to use for repeated criminal activity.
To educate and raise awareness of the risks, Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones and Police Sergeant Jamie Dobson of the Roads Policing Unit attended a televised crushing of vehicles seized by Operation Crush at Silverlake’s Authorised Treatment Facility in Shedfield on Monday January 20th 2024.
The illegal use of privately owned, powered, two-wheel vehicles such as e-scooters and off-road electric motorcycles has been a blight on many local communities in recent years. This is due to the careless and dangerous manner in which they are often used, putting the riders of the vehicles and other road users at risk of serious injury.
There has also been a rise in the use of these vehicles by criminal gangs to commit serious crimes. Several of the vehicles seized by Operation Crush in 2024 were involved in traffic collisions, with some being driven by riders under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Knives and drugs were also seized alongside a number of the vehicles.
Allen Prebble, managing director at Silverlake Automotive Recycling, said:
“At Silverlake, we greatly value our strong and collaborative relationship with the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary. By working together, we’ve been able to support their vital efforts in promoting public safety and tackling crime while showcasing the importance of responsible vehicle recycling. It’s a partnership built on trust and shared values, and we’re proud to play our part in contributing to the community through initiatives like these.”
Hampshire & IOW Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said:
“Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has a long-standing partnership with Silverlake Automotive Recycling, and involving them in Operation Crush is a natural extension of this relationship. We know we can rely on Silverlake to collect, dismantle and destroy the vehicles officers seize in a timely, professional and environmentally friendly manner. This partnership ensures that seized vehicles cannot return to the region’s roads and threaten public safety or be re-used by criminal gangs to carry out serious offences. As Commissioner, I am grateful to Silverlake for the opportunity to televise the crushing of some of the recently seized vehicles at their Authorised Treatment Facility in Shedfield, providing a powerful platform to raise awareness of Operation Crush and what it means for the region.”
