Stolen bikes

It seems that I'll be getting the Metropolitan Police press releases on bike theft from now on:

A cycle thief has been jailed for 12 weeks and given an 18 month Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) for stealing two bikes in Southwark.

Harry Garratty, 26 years (07/11/1986) of Raymouth Road, SE16 was sentenced at Camberwell Magistrates Court on Friday 1 February after pleading guilty to two counts of theft of a pedal cycle.

On 31 January officers from Southwark Safer Transport Team, part of the Transport for London funded Safer Transport Command, were carrying out a covert bicycle operation in London Bridge as part of Project Cycle Ops - a partnership initiative to tackle cycle theft in the Capital.

Officers witnessed Garratty approach a locked bicycle in Duke Street Hill, which he then attempted to ride off on after cutting the lock.

He was detained and arrested by officers who discovered he was on court bail in connection with another theft of pedal cycle offence on 18 October 2012 at Canada Water Library SE16.

He was charged with theft of a pedal cycle and appeared at Camberwell Magistrates Court on 1 February, where he pleaded guilty to the London Bridge offence as well as the offence in Canada Water.

He was jailed for a total of 12 weeks and given an ASBO, which bans him from entering the London Bridge area for 18 months

Superintendent Stuart Trayler, Safer Transport Command, said: "Project Cycle Ops is using a range of tactics to successfully tackle cycle theft in the capital as this result demonstrates.

"Cycle theft is a crime that can have a considerable impact on victims. The MPS, its policing partners, and Transport for London will continue to target those involved and arrest them wherever possible."

We encourage cyclists to Follow the Three R's:

Record - Keep a record for yourself of the frame number, make and any other marks that can identify your bike if it is stolen. The Cycle Taskforce run a number of bike marking events, details can be found at http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Cycle-marking-events/1400005859885/
1400005859885

Register - There are a number of websites where cyclists can register the details of their bikes and any distinguishing features/ frame numbers etc. The MPS have recently selected BikeRegister as the preferred cycle online registration service - www.bikeregister.com.

Report - If your bike is stolen then please make sure that you report it to the police and provide as many details as you can, such as frame number, make, distinguishable marks. Bike theft is a significantly under-reported crime. Reporting the theft will enable us to check databases
and contact the owner once the bike is recovered.

This guy sounds like small fry; the police are also hoping to arrest bigger operators.