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Half of bike theft victims feel police don’t investigate2017 national cycle theft survey.jpg

Half of bike theft victims feel police don’t investigate

Most bikes are taken from homes finds survey
by Alex Bowden
Fri, Sep 15, 2017 12:50
9

Half of those who report a bike theft to police feel that it is not investigated. The finding comes as part of the 2017 National Cycle Crime Survey, commissioned by Bike Register, the UK's national cycle database.

Half of the 1,386 respondents said they had suffered the theft of a bike with more than 43 per cent having had two or more bikes stolen.

While 87 per cent of victims reported their loss to the police, 50 per cent of those felt that no investigation was carried out.

The survey indicates that 10 per cent of theft victims had their bike recovered, with social media the most frequent tool used to attempt to locate and recover it (29 per cent).

Nick Roach, police liaison officer at BikeRegister, said: “I speak to police officers all over the UK who are frustrated that they can’t effectively investigate cycle theft as many victims are often unable to give them any information other than perhaps the make and colour.”

Bike theft is most commonly from the home (61 per cent), while 18 per cent of bikes are taken from outside shops and 11.5 per cent from outside work.

Most bike owners (92 per cent) report using bike locks to protect their bikes, with D-locks the most popular. 39 per cent of people use two locks and nearly 30 per cent spend over £50 on their main lock.

GPS trackers are used by just three per cent of bike owners, while 34 per cent security mark and register their bike on a property register.

Roach said: “BikeRegister acts as a massive deterrent to theft as thieves know a marked bike will prove ownership and be extremely difficult to sell on. In addition to acting as a deterrent, BikeRegister provides the police with a major investigation tool, and facility to get bikes back to their owners because the details are recorded on a secure database that is accessible to police 24/7.”

For more information about securing your bike, take a look at road.cc’s bike locking bible.

Bike theft
Bikeregister
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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9 comments

Avatar
Bluebug | 6 years ago
1 like

I used to do some work for a local online paper. 

Someone in my area got his bike stolen outside a shop and he managed to get the CCTV images from the shop of a person doing the theft. 

I published the images online and spread the information wide on our social media pages. The "alleged" thief's name was then given to the police. 

The "alleged" thief was found by the police to have the owners cut up bike lock in his bedroom.

However as the "alleged" thief refused to admit he did the crime the CPS refused to prosecute him as there was "insufficient" evidence.   Neither the owner or the police were happy with this. 

So even if the police can be bothered to find the thief unless a human saw them with the bike then the CPS won't prosecute.

Avatar
ralpa | 6 years ago
1 like

 

A lovely PCSOs came to my house to take down my bike details. 

 

What I didn't realise until too late is that they engrave your postcode and house number into the frame. I had to laugh... "So they've stolen my nice bike and know I buy nice things. Now they have my address... really!" 

 

Needs a separate identifier! 

Avatar
Jimnm | 6 years ago
0 likes

It'll be down to the massive cuts in our police force, I would imagine that bike theft is way down on the list of priorities compared to motoring offences and incidents of assaults, drug cultivation and dealing, murder etc. 

Its difficult, I would say never leave your bike unattended, when it is, lock it up by whichever means are at your disposal. 

If people are caught stealing a finger should be amputated, no use cutting a full hand off because they'd just claim invalidity benefit.

this may well be a deterrent to others.

Heres hoping! 

Avatar
kitsunegari | 6 years ago
0 likes

“I speak to police officers all over the UK who are frustrated that they can’t effectively investigate cycle theft as many victims are often unable to give them any information other than perhaps the make and colour.” I doubt this very much. Frustrated? More like glad they can move on.

Avatar
HarryTrauts | 6 years ago
4 likes

...and the other half KNOW they don't. 

Avatar
jimbudd | 6 years ago
3 likes

Only half??

Avatar
esayers | 6 years ago
0 likes

South Wales police (PCSOs) visit the University offering bike registration through Immobilise. I asked them if they use Bike Register (as I have my bikes registered through there) and they said they hadn't heard of it. Registered with both now (Immobilise you can register more beyond bikes but doesn't do the marking, just registration).

Avatar
severs1966 replied to esayers | 6 years ago
1 like

esayers wrote:

South Wales police (PCSOs) visit the University offering bike registration through Immobilise. I asked them if they use Bike Register (as I have my bikes registered through there) and they said they hadn't heard of it. Registered with both now (Immobilise you can register more beyond bikes but doesn't do the marking, just registration).

 

So there is more than one register of bike identities?

Avatar
brooksby replied to severs1966 | 6 years ago
2 likes

severs1966 wrote:

esayers wrote:

South Wales police (PCSOs) visit the University offering bike registration through Immobilise. I asked them if they use Bike Register (as I have my bikes registered through there) and they said they hadn't heard of it. Registered with both now (Immobilise you can register more beyond bikes but doesn't do the marking, just registration).

 

So there is more than one register of bike identities?

Unfortunately yes.  However, that's moot as I believe most police use the one where they write the details down on an index card and file it in the basement.

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