From the [url= http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/LocalPages/NewsDetails.aspx?nsid=17719&t=1&lid=1 ]Avon & Somerset Police website[/url]. If you click the link there's also a video of bike thieves in action.
Organised bike thieves are coming to Bristol from other cities dressed in suits and armed with industrial bolt croppers.Police in Bristol are warning bike owners to beware after arresting and charging a 26-year-old man from London who was spotted by officers while taking a bike from outside the BRI.
The suspect was seen in a shirt and tie, putting on a helmet and trouser-ties, tampering with a lock on a Mountain bike, which he then calmly placed into his rucksack, before attempting to ride off.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Kelvey is heading up a special task team focussed on catching criminals who are stealing bikes in the city.
DCI Kelvey wants to dispel the myth that bike thefts are only carried out by opportunist thieves and wants everyone to be more cycle security savvy.
DCI Kelvey said: "With Bristol being named the country's first Cycle City there is a big drive to double the number of people using bicycles.
"We don't want this to mean more opportunity for thieves or more victims of crime.
"There are plenty of opportunist thieves who will take a bike if it is not secured properly, or those who take bikes from homes during burglaries, but there are also more organised and sophisticated bike thieves now operating.
"The man who was arrested by our officers had travelled all the way from London with the intention of returning with a stolen bike.
"He was dressed like an office worker so to passers-by, who were not observing closely, it may have just looked like a commuter picking up his bike.
"Pedal cycle theft is a priority for Avon and Somerset Police in Bristol. We want people to take every possible measure when it comes to securing their bikes, including buying decent locks and knowing good locking methods.
"We also need the public to support us by being more vigilant.
"People should also register bikes on national property database, Immobilise.
"It is the only property database that will automatically throw up results when we do checks on property through our standard system."You would be surprised at how many stolen bikes we recover that end up having to be auctioned because there is no way of identifying an owner.
"Putting distinguishing marks or labels on bikes and taking a picture for your own records can also help us to identify recovered bikes and reunite them with owners.
"Bikes are becoming higher value items because there are a number of Government initiatives to help people in workplaces purchase bikes.
"As officers we use bikes on a day-to-day basis at work and a number of us are keen leisure cyclists as well."We are committed to tackling the issue of bike theft in Bristol to make it a safer more secure place to be a cyclist."
The Cabot and Clifton Neighbourhood Police Team will be based outside the Bristol Royal Infirmary tomorrow (Wednesday 9th September) Giving people free bike security tips and advice as well as doing free electronic tagging for cyclists.
Register your bike and other property on www.Immobilise.com
For a free bike security leaflet email Frank.Simonds@avonandsomerset.police.uk
Hmm, have emailed a police force about bikes being ridden that seem inappropriate to the people that are on them. This was 10days ago, still no reply so it must not be a priority for all forces then.
Genesis, more likely that they don't have the time to follow up on every lead they get, and the more tenuous the report, the less time they will give it. They will probably be interested if you can match the bike to a theft report, but nicking people on spec, just because they look a bit scummy to be riding a nice bike, is not what they do.
Maybe they should just ask people on expensive bikes to do a trackstand?
the thief would have to pick a pretty impressive bike to nick to cover the cost of a train ticket from London!
Hmm, have emailed a police force about bikes being ridden that seem inappropriate to the people that are on them. This was 10days ago, still no reply so it must not be a priority for all forces then.
*facepalm*
the thief would have to pick a pretty impressive bike to nick to cover the cost of a train ticket from London!
Good point.
In fairness to the Bristol police, they do seem to be taking bike theft a bit more seriously these days. That wouldn't be difficult - my wife had her bike stolen 2 years ago, from her work car park. The thief was clearly identifiable on CCTV, yet the police didn't even bother to look at the tape.
the thief would have to pick a pretty impressive bike to nick to cover the cost of a train ticket from London!
Yeah but due to a combination of cycle to work scheme and general ignorance of bike crime, people are locking up £1000 hardtails with £10 locks in stupid places. I even know of one chap who left his cycle to work scheme funded Kona Blast Deluxe in the back garden of his place of work in Clifton, unlocked, he could merely watch from the top floor office as some yoof looked up, laughed and ran off with it.
ransos.
Where was your wifes bike nicked from? What reason did the police give for not conducting an easy CCTV enquiry that may reveal the identity of the offender and assist in locating your wifes bike, which they at a minimum are duty bound to do? Did you complain about their inaction? If you want me to look at this for you mail me at lawrence.jones@avonandsomerset.police.uk
All the best.
thanks deluded, but it was a long time ago and the insurance paid up, so we're not that bothered. As far as I remember, the police said they would come to look at the footage, but never actually did. If it happens in the future, I'll be in touch! I'm pleased to note that you guys are taking more interest in bike theft these days.
Stoner, you are assuming that this ne'er do well actually paid for a ticket....!
😉
Stoner, what if he got the National Express down, and cycled back up the Kennet and Avon canal path? 🙂
HoratioHufnagel - Member
Maybe they should just ask people on expensive bikes to do a trackstand?
Wahey! 🙂
megabus would be cheaper.
just been to the BRI for my RFID chips for all my bikes nice and free from mr plods assistant.
Dammit! I saw the police van outside this morning as I went past, if I knew they were handing out chips I'd have had some.
I'm going to have to pop up there in a bit, need a chip for my new road bike - they're £15 retail!
an easy CCTV enquiry that may reveal the identity of the offender
Given the quality of the CCTV footage displayed on TV news reports, is this ever actually possible? (genuine question, not a piss take)
The quality of CCTV varies massively. Sometimes it’s very good but on a fair number of occasions it’s not of sufficient quality for identification purposes. Having said that many convictions have resulted from CCTV evidence. The biggest bind in my experience is when you go to a business premises to retrieve the CCTV (particularly from a digital multiplex machine) to be told nobody is trained on how to use it and the manual of instruction for the system is missing or now being used to lag the boiler or something equally ridiculous.
The point is, if a victim of crime believes there is a viable and proportionate CCTV opportunity worth pursuing then police ought to do something about it.
All the best.
Larry,
Moving slightly off the topic of cctv, i had my van broken into about 18 months ago and a handful of tools stolen, nothing new there, but the tools were locksmithing tools i.e. picks, shims, pick gun etc. My question is why did nobody take an intrest in these stolen items if they could be used to break into somebodys property quite easily??
This happened in leigh woods so on your patch.
They would be next to impossible to trace?
My question is why did nobody take an intrest in these stolen items if they could be used to break into somebodys property quite easily??
Surely it takes skill to use these tools, I mean I can hold a scalpal but you wouldn't want me performing open heart surgery on you.
😉
maybe so but if there was/is a spate of burglaries when there is no signs of forced entry would/could that not be a help to linking a few to one person/scrote?
some of the tools need a whole lot of practice but some are really idiot proof to use.
It would be impossible to demonstrate it was your tools that gained entry, and not another set of near identical tools.
i'm not expecting to get them back, all i'm saying is that if the police actually found out what tools wen't missing then they might have a bigger clue as to how somebody got in to your house and stole all your bikes rather than scratching their head like stan laurel.
It would be impossible to demonstrate it was your tools that gained entry, and not another set of near identical tools.
Indeed, they may have even used a credit card.
😉
i'm not expecting to get them back, all i'm saying is that if the police actually found out what tools wen't missing then they might have a bigger clue as to how somebody got in to your house and stole all your bikes rather than scratching their head like stan laurel.
TBH I think using locksmith tools (although quick in skilled hands) would not be used my your average chav thief when a brick or spade or gemmy will do the job in he same time without having to learn the locksmiths trade, I'd wager your tools are in the bottom of the docks or in a hedge somewhere.
By the same token, its easy enough to look up lock breaking techniques on you poob, pick up a few basic tools and go to with reduced chance of getting disturbed.
dont know why i bothered asking
What did you expect Taylor, this is STW. 😉
tampering with a lock on a Mountain bike, which he then calmly placed into his rucksack, before attempting to ride off
Just me that reads that as the thief placed the bike in his rucksack!?
Taylor,
Not that it matters but Leigh Woods is not on my patch. It is policed by J district, which is Weston-Super-Mare. LW’s is the extreme boundary with Bristol police.
Of course I can't comment into the circumstances of your vehicle being broken into 18 months ago, or why you perceive that nobody took an interest in the kind of tools stolen. Did they not make a record of them, did you explain how anybody might use them to affect entry into premises. Even then I can't really think of how that would necessarily help police trace the offender. Don’t know you could be right? Are you suggesting that there was a spate of undetected burglaries where the offenders used your kit to get into houses and make off with peoples bikes?
You’ve got my Email and Ed may have my mobile number if you want to thrash through it further.
I’ve never scratched my head like Stan Laurel, I must say. I’ve played with my tie like Oliver Hardy though!
All the best.
I spotted this yesterday,as someone else who has suffered (in Bath not Bristol) I'm again pleased to see police taking this more seriously.
The beat PC who came to see me simply couldn't believe anyone could spend £2,000+ on a "push bike"! Nor why I needed 7 of them 😉
Thanks to Larry posting on here I was aware of the task force but didn't appreciate it was being headed up by a DCI.
Without giving anything away, is there any indication as to whether this London team may have been responsible for some of the bike theft related burglary? If so, any indication as to what info they were using to target addresses? (We spent some time on here last year trying to work out if there was a link i.e had we all used the same on line store etc).
Good luck!
Andy
AA,
Sorry late reply just got back from a ride.
That London team had a very specific M.O. No indication that they were into burglaries.
I spoke to a mate who very recently had interviewed a lad for a number of offences. The lad coughed to the jobs that were put to him and said that he would wait up in car and watch people coming over the Severn Bridge (or along the M4 corridor, Cribbs etc, can’t rightly remember) with expensive bikes on their roof rack and follow them back to their home addresses. That's one instance of how people with high-end mountain bikes were targeted.
All the best