Stolen bikes

Press release from the police. I have to say that I think some ASBOs are beyond ridiculous. OK, so he's a serial bike thief, but surely you don't deal with that by prohibiting someone from 'touching any bicycle that cannot be proven to be owned by him'. What if he wanted to actually buy a bike (however unlikely that may seem), which at the point when he might take it for a test ride would not be being owned by him, or if he rode a friend's bike? It's just that it's literally so extreme that it seems absurd. Having said that, I can't think of another way of keeping a bike thief away from bikes. :)

Prolific cycle thief issued 5 year ASBO

A prolific cycle thief from Haringey has been issued a five year Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) thanks to the ASBO process partnership between the Metropolitan Police's Safer Transport Command and Transport for London (TfL).

Youssef Kaissouni, of Gladstone Avenue, N22 appeared at Thames Magistrates Court on 11 September 2013 and pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of a pedal cycle, shoplifting and burglary. He was sentenced to the ASBO as well as 20 weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

This sentence follows close work between PC Gul Khan from Hackney Safer Transport Team and the TfL's Community Safety & Crime Reduction Unit.

PC Khan identified Kassouni as a prolific offender committing cycle crime and approached TfL regarding applying for an ASBO following the impending court case. Following consultation, PC Khan went to work, collating Kaissouni's offending history and strong statements from victims to demonstrate the harassment, alarm and distress his offences caused them. At the hearing on 11 September, District Judge Hamilton agreed that the order was necessary to protect members of the public from more distress. The ASBO prohibits Kassouni from:

1) Touching any bicycle that cannot be proven to be owned by him
2) Being in possession of any tools or cutting equipment capable of cutting bicycle locks or removing bicycle parts
3) Buying or selling any bicycles or bicycle parts other than via an authorised dealer subscribing to the ACPO approved BikeRegister scheme within England and Wales for a period of 5 years.

Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, MPS Safer Transport Command said: “This is an excellent result which has seen a prolific cycle thief receive a severely restrictive ASBO

"Cycle theft is a crime which has a huge impact on its victims and the Safer Transport Command with its partner Transport for London will continue to safeguard London’s cyclists from criminals like Kaissouni.”

Siwan Hayward, Acting Director of Community, Safety, Enforcement and Policing, TfL said: “This ASBO is a great result for us at TfL and the MPS Safer Transport Command. Reducing cycle theft is vital to achieving our goal of getting more Londoners to use bikes as a form of transport. We urge all cyclists to make use of one of the many free BikeRegister security marking and registration events undertaken by London’s police agencies. This not only helps officers to identify the bike owner but also acts as a deterrent for thieves. We will continue to work with our policing partners to keep our cycling community safe and bring to justice those who embark on this kind of crime.”

Crime Prevention Advice

Park and lock your bike at designated parking areas, using two 'sold secure' locks. Make sure both locks catch the bike frame as well as both wheels and the post.

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. 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.