New Police Bike Scheme Aims To Curb Bike Theft

29 Nov 2012

Cyclists in Hereford are being urged to take advantage of a new police scheme to beat bike theft by getting their bikes marked.

Following a recent spike in cycle theft in central Hereford, a new crime reduction initiative will encourage cyclists to have their bikes marked by West Mercia Police using the BikeRegister system.

The launch event for the new scheme will take place at Sainsbury’s, Barton Yard, Hereford, on Wednesday, 5th December between 08:00 and 10:30hrs. The initiative is being jointly funded by West Mercia Police and Hereford Council.

BikeRegister is the UK’s leading online bicycle identification and registration initiative aiming to reduce cycle theft, identify stolen bikes and assist in owner recovery.

Bike marking has been proven to deter theft and only takes a couple of minutes to do. Once the marking stencil has been applied to the frame it cannot be easily removed. The marking contains a unique code that is then registered onto the secure online database. A tamper proof sticker advertising that the bike has been marked is also placed on the frame.

If the bike is stolen and recovered, police can access the database and identify the rightful owner. The security mark can also help to convict cycle thieves.

PCSO Jim Preece from Hereford Central Policing Team who is leading the initiative, said: “We have been experiencing an increase in bike theft from cycle racks and places of work in central Hereford, as well as from residential property and sheds. Many of the bikes were secured but not well enough to deter bike thieves.”

According to PCSO Preece, bikes that have been stolen recently are either high value brands such as Specialized, Cube and Carrera, or medium value bikes which may have been left insecure by their owners, leaving them vulnerable to theft.

“This new scheme which will cover hotspot areas of Herefordshire, will not only raise awareness about bike security but will also give cyclists reassurance that they are doing all they can to protect their bikes,” said PCSO Preece.

He continued: “We also want this scheme to act as a deterrent to any would-be bike thieves, as a marked bike is much more difficult to sell on. We would encourage as many people as possible to come along to our bike marking events which will be advertised locally and on our Twitter page @hightowncops.”

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

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

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