Oxford Neighbourhood Watch has been working with
University of Oxford on a collaborative research project
that aims to understand more about bike theft locally.

As part of the Science Together programme, the Neighbourhood Watch team, led by area representative Maggie Lewis, created a survey to gather the bike theft experiences of local residents.

The survey focused on low-end and second-hand bikes which are less likely to be reported as stolen. It also showed that despite their lower monetary value, the theft
of these bikes can have a greater impact on the victim, for these bikes are often crucial as means of transport. When a bike is someone’s primary mode of transport, a theft can cause not only inconvenience and distress but also loss of independence and significant financial difficulty.

The findings to the survey were collated and are now helping to inform new guidance for local residents on how to keep their bikes safe. The survey resulted in the creation and circulation of a Bike Theft Crime Prevention Leaflet.

A follow-up event was held in conjunction with the University of Oxford, with Oxford Neighbourhood Watch offering members of the local community bike locking demos and also distributing helpful literature on how to keep bikes safe, including details of how to register a bike on BikeRegister.

Following on from the above successes, Neighbourhood Watch continue to host regular bike marking and registration events in Oxford as a project legacy.

For further information and images contact: Jodie Fisher, Marketing Executive for Selectamark.

Phone: +44 (0)1689 487829
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @bikeregister