Forensic spray to help police catch e-bike offenders

Photograph of a police officer spraying a motorbike with forensic solution spray. The officer is largely cropped out of the image but he is crouched down and sprays the solution on the tyres. The motorbike is white and red and a man sits upon the bike in full motorcycling gear, including a helmet and black boots. North Wales Police

North Wales Police hope the initiative will help clamp down on anti social behaviour

Charlie Buckland
BBC Wales

Forensic spray is to be used by police officers to crack down on illegal activity related to electric bikes and scooters.

Launched by North Wales Police, Operation Vroom will see officers in the Rhyl and Denbighshire Coastal district equipped with Smart Tag forensic spray.

Only detected by a UV light, the solution has a "unique forensic code" relating to the pressurised cannister it was sprayed from, which can link a suspect and vehicle to the scene of an offence.

Police hope the method will help them to pursue offenders, as e-vehicles are often linked to drug supply, theft, and anti-social behaviour, with riders often concealing their identities with hoods and face coverings.

The district has seen a surge in complaints from residents and local councils in recent months, the police said, including Abergele, Rhuddlan and Prestatyn, relating to youths causing disruption while illegally riding electric bikes and scooters at high speeds.

Sgt Iwan Hughes said the approach would be adopted "imminently" by officers as they currently face limitations in catching offenders on bikes.

"Traditional methods of apprehension are simply not viable in these circumstances," he said.

"We need a solution that allows us to act safely and effectively without escalating risk."

By using Smart Tag, officers can mark offenders without the need for physical pursuit, which "can endanger the public, officers and the individual riders", the police said.

Photograph shows the Smart Tag equipment laid out on a table. There is a plastic clear bag including two swabs and a solution, a black cylinder hand held device with a black strap, along with the spray bottle which reads "smart tag" and a "smart tag" case.North Wales Police

The Smart Tag solution will coat the suspect in a liquid untraceable to the naked eye

"The Smart Tag forensic spray offers a promising alternative. When deployed, it coats the suspect in a traceable liquid that is invisible to the naked eye but detectable under UV light," Sgt Hughes added.

"A forensic marker can later be linked directly to the incident, providing robust evidential support for further action.

"We hope that public awareness of the forensic spray's use will serve as a powerful deterrent, reducing the frequency of such incidents and restoring a sense of safety in our communities.

It comes as a total of 135 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters were seized in Cardiff in a month-long operation in August, which found one seized vehicle with a top speed of 86mph to be without functioning brakes.

In a statement, North Wales Police urged people to report any electric bikes or scooters being ridden dangerously or illegally.

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