Cycles with an estimated total value of £150,000 have been marked and registered to BikeRegister, after an effort to reduce bike crime in Bristol and North Somerset.
More than ever are taking to two wheels thanks to cycle to work schemes, a wish to be environmentally friendly and rising prices at the petrol pumps.
Inspector Jarrod Bartlett from Avon and Somerset Police said: “Bikes that are left relatively insecure when they are parked up attract opportunist thieves and we have seen targeted thefts of the more specialised and high-value frames, which sometimes get stolen to order. However, everyone can also take some fairly simple precautions to minimise the risk of theft to your bike.
“Having your bike marked dramatically increases the chances of it being returned to you should it be lost or stolen. BikeRegister is a successful product used by police that uses chemical etching to create a durable registration mark on the frame, which is registered on a database. It makes bikes far less attractive to prospective thieves, especially when combined with a good lock.”
Avon and Somerset are also working with British Transport Police on a number of events to target bike theft from local rail stations. One recent event saw 98 bikes marked worth a total of about £42,500. Pictured is cycle marking at Worle station outside Weston super Mare.
According to the BikeRegister database, a mid-range Specialized or Trek bike is the most popular target for cycle thieves in the UK. The most targeted brands are:
1. Specialized
2. Trek
3. Giant
4. Carerra
5. Ridgeway.
Meanwhile the train operator c2c Rail and British Transport Police (BTP) are looking to help commuters mark their bicycles to thwart cycle thieves.
c2c runs train services from London’s Fenchurch Street station to Southend Central and Shoeburyness in Essex. The train company with BTP officers and cycle wardens from the security contractor Show & Event Security, promote each event a week in advance by talking to customers and handing out leaflets. On the event day itself, cycle wardens approach each cyclist when they arrive at the station and offer them the chance to get their cycle marked and registered to BikeRegister. The wardens also provide advice on how to secure passenger cycles and use locks correctly. c2c aims to mark 500 passenger bikes before the end of 2014.
Iain Palmer, Revenue Protection and Security Manager for c2c, said: “Customer participation overall has been high and interest of future events has been keen. After each event regular patrols are also carried out by the cycle patrol teams both in uniform and covertly, with the aim of reducing levels of cycle crime throughout the route.” He added: “We take cycle crime very seriously and are doing what we can to help our customers park their bikes safely and securely.”
Visit www.bikeregister.com.
