Police aim to crack down on cycle theft locally
Cyclists in Ealing have the opportunity to get their bikes security marked and registered for free by officers from Ealing Safer Transport Team who have joined forces with local bike shops.
The next session takes place at Halfords in the Mall, Ealing from 1pm to 4pm.
The Safer Transport Team, part of the Transport for London (TfL) funded Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Safer Transport Command (STC), are using BikeRegister, the MPS preferred cycle registration database, to register bikes and will also give Ealing cyclists advice on how to lock up their bikes securely in order to deter cycle theft.
This is the latest phase of activity involving TfL, the STC, British Transport Police and City of London Police to tackle cycle theft in the Capital.
Police officers have been using a range of tactics to crack down cycle thieves, including bike marking and registration events, high-visibility patrols, surveillance, intelligence-led operations and covert policing tactics.
Registering details of your bike helps the police and retailers identify and verify the legitimate owner of bikes that have been stolen or are being resold. Over 23000 bikes have been marked and registered onto BikeRegister by the MPS since June 2010.
In addition to these events, Ealing Safer Transport Team, as well as the STC Cycle Task Force, carry out regular marking events throughout the year.
Inspector Eddie Farndon said: “We want cyclists in Ealing to get on their bikes and enjoy cycling this summer without the fear of theft, which is why we are urging people to come and get their bikes security marked and registered for free!
"We advise any cyclist to follow 'the three R's' - Record the details of their bike, Register them onto online property databases like www.bikeregister.com and Report any theft to the police. These are simple steps that all cyclists should take so that if their bike is stolen they stand a good chance of being reunited with it."
Siwan Hayward, Deputy Director of Community Safety Enforcement and Policing at TfL, said: “As the cycling season gets under way and the Mayor’s cycling revolution continues to gather pace we will see hundreds of thousands of people taking to two wheels this summer, and through working with our policing partners we will ensure that cycle thefts are kept to a minimum."
One key element to their approach to cycle theft reduction was the introduction of the Cycle Task Force as a dedicated team of 30 officers to tackle cycle theft in the Capital. They tackle organised cycle theft through proactive investigations and operations, as well as disrupting the trade of stolen second-hand bikes and bicycle parts through working with online websites and running undercover operations and high visibility patrols in hot spot areas.
Andrew Knights, Managing Director of BikeRegister, said: “Thanks to the excellent work of The Cycle Task Force and Safer Transport Teams, bike theft in London is being tackled head on. B ike marking and bike registration continue to be key elements in deterring bike theft and recovering bikes to their original owners. If the frame number of a bike is not recorded on a secure Police-approved database, it is very hard to prove that a bicycle is stolen. Therefore, we fully support the increased cycle marking events taking place during London's busiest summer ever.”
June 20, 2012