I know it's from the Daily Wail but…

🙁

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1302855/Police-scheme-repeat-offenders-STOLEN-bicycles-jobs.html

Sorry if posted before.

Better than scrapping the bikes though, which is what usually happens. Or they end up at auction, making money for someone else the bike doesn't belong to.

Seems better than doing nothing,

Detective Inspector Richard Crabtree of Ipswich CID who came up with the scheme, insisted that the bikes were 'not to be seen as gifts' and would merely be on loan to offenders.
He added: 'This is a well-intended scheme and a holistic approach to assist individuals who for whatever reason have been on the wrong side of the law gain meaningful employment.

Better than scrapping the bikes though, which is what usually happens.

They auction them off and the profits go back into the police.

Not better than doing nothing really is it, it'd be far better if they repatriated the bike with the correct person and didn't help offenders out by giving them other peoples property.

Better than scrapping the bikes though, which is what usually happens.

No it isn't. You're meant to punsih people for committing crimes, not reward them. I can't see how anyone would think this was a good idea on any level.

why don't they just give the bikes to cycling clubs, youth centres, after schools clubs, Fattie Diet clubs, etc?

Yep – this idea is plain daft. It's a PR nightmare for the police – it's not just daily wail readers getting hot under the collar, it's stupid enough to get even the most liberal types a bit annoyed.

As has been said, why on earth can't the bikes go to a deserving cause?

I'll come to nowt when the police are sued by one of the scum for loaning them an 'unsafe' bike.

far as I'm concerned, as soon as you've done your 'time' you're no longer a criminal. So the police are just lending bikes to normal people who need to get back on their feet.

Can't see it losing much money for the police (it's not like they're getting top of the range bikes), and if it helps a couple of people get back into work/out of the criminal system then that's only a good thing.

Well hopefully somebody will steal it from the convict whilst they are 'looking for a job' and the great crankarm of life will have turned full circle.

roblerner – Member
far as I'm concerned, as soon as you've done your 'time' you're no longer a criminal.

Reason and commonsense? We'll have none of that here 😀

Can't see it losing much money for the police (it's not like they're getting top of the range bikes), and if it helps a couple of people get back into work/out of the criminal system then that's only a good thing.

Yes, because those who complain that they can't get to a job because they don't own a bike are going to suddenly become model citizens with a great work ethic if given a bike to commute on. I struggle to be bothered commuting on my bike when it's raining and I've a great job to go to and love riding a bike. Reason and common sense clearly missing in that argument too.

…are going to suddenly become model citizens

You're right, we should just tell them to go **** themselves and then leave them too it. I'm sure they'll be fine. It must be easy to go and get a job after coming out of jail, it's not like the reoffending rate is 90+%. 🙄

Or we could give them a bit of a hand. Obviously a bike isn't going to change their lives, but it's a start.

Or we could give them a bit of a hand. Obviously a bike isn't going to change their lives, but it's a start.

I'm sure there are slightly more productive ways rather than just giving them a rope to hang themselves. All this is is "here's a bike, now you can't complain when you offend again that you didn't have a choice as you couldn't commute". Bikes are not the answer, better work opportunities are. Which means more investment in skills training, trades and valuing "low-end" jobs more, for everyone not just crims.

Bikes are not the answer, better work opportunities are.

Exercise, mobility, responsibility, trust, self respect

Giving a bike helps all those things, and helps to build a better person. Obviously it's a small part of a bigger problem, and jobs willing to take ex-cons etc are important.

Which means more investment in skills training, trades and valuing "low-end" jobs more, for everyone not just crims.

Not sure that's the job of the police.

Not sure that's the job of the police.

No, but neither is providing transport.

No, but neither is providing transport.

But ex-criminals are, and the police have got the bikes kicking around anyway…

IMO it's better to give them to a needy portion of the population than sell them for next to no money.

roblerner: I may be wrong on this but presumably if they're on probation, it means that they haven't served their time (in full, at least). Probation is still part of the sentence, isn't it? Or is that just release on licence for lifers that I'm getting it confused with?

those who complain that they can't get to a job because they don't own a bike are going to suddenly become model citizens with a great work ethic if given a bike to commute on

What's your experience in offender rehabilitation, then, coffeeking? Have you done any research into this before? Are you familiar with the issues around barriers to re-employment generally? Can you substantiate your opposition to the scheme with evidence or research that conflicts with the underlying basis or methodology of the Suffolk scheme? Are you suggesting that this isn't evidence-based strategy? Do you have suggestions on how the bike recipients could be better selected, making specific reference to the current criteria? Why do you think your judgement on this issue is likely to be more reliable than that of the Suffolk Fuzz and Norfolk and Suffolk Probation Trust?

Surely you're not just basing your views on the information that a Daily Mail article has given you about it?

than sell them for next to no money.

Who do you think buys a £10 bike from police auctions, someone who can afford better and holds down a regular well paid job?

What's your experience in offender rehabilitation, then, coffeeking? Have you done any research into this before? Are you familiar with the issues around barriers to re-employment generally? Can you substantiate your opposition to the scheme with evidence or research that conflicts with the underlying basis or methodology of the Suffolk scheme? Are you suggesting that this isn't evidence-based strategy? Do you have suggestions on how the bike recipients could be better selected, making specific reference to the current criteria? Why do you think your judgement on this issue is likely to be more reliable than that of the Suffolk Fuzz and Norfolk and Suffolk Probation Trust?

Surely you're not just basing your views on the information that a Daily Mail article has given you about it?

No, I've limited experience, however I do have some experience working with young offenders/underpriv teens in my old area, and from my experience with them I can't see it having very much effect, if any, in fact I'd say it was liable to have them sold on for cash at the local and then the police told the "lent" bike was stolen. It's my opinion, based on the information I have been presented with.

Why do you think your judgement on this issue is likely to be more reliable than that of the Suffolk Fuzz and Norfolk and Suffolk Probation Trust?

I don't think it's more reliable. But likewise I have every right to make comment as I see fit, and if everyone in power and "at the coal face" were always the best people to solve problems, the world would be nigh perfect by now. Plenty of schemes are borne of fancy and good will, but make no sense when confronted with reality and someone desperate to find their next £10.

Who do you think buys a £10 bike from police auctions, someone who can afford better and holds down a regular well paid job?

Probably a company/dealer who sells them on for more? Just a guess though.

Probably a company/dealer who sells them on for more? Just a guess though.

Possibly, but I don't see too many companies selling large numbers of second hand bikes (in comparison with the numbers stolen). Apart from kaesae… 🙂

Possibly, but I don't see too many companies selling large numbers of second hand bikes

Lots in bristol (well, not so much a company as the 'Bike Man' – a guy with a big yard full of hundreds of old bikes)

Apart from kaesae

You'd have though Suffolk police would have caught on and stopped giving him them by now, he must have 'lost' hundreds of their bikes 🙂

Visit any student town. Loads of places sell second hand bikes to them.

Maybe the Police will be fitting the bikes with some sort of tracking device, make things a bit easier when they have to go looking for said repeat offenders again?

I would've thought repeat offenders would have no shortage of stolen bikes anyway

Fiona McEvoy of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said the scheme could encourage thefts in the future.

LOL !

Would be funny if the criminal comes back to just a lock and no bike -see crime sucks!

And justice is even worse so it seems, here take my car keys too.

It's my opinion, based on the information I have been presented with.

= "yes, as a matter of fact it is my knee-jerk reaction based on a Daily Mail article".