What to do if your bike is stolen

Metropolitan Police press release, current info on having your bike security marked:

Police help 'lock thieves out' by registering bicycles for free

People who got a new bicycle for Christmas can get it security marked and registered for free this January on the preferred online bicycle register www.bikeregister.com by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service Safer Transport Command in partnership with Transport for London (TfL).

The Cycle Task Force and the 32 borough Safer Transport Teams will be holding marking and registration events near you throughout January. Getting your bike security marked and registered is a visible deterrent to bike thieves. They know that if they are caught in possession of a registered bike, the rightful owner can be traced and they will be arrested.

Some of the events taking place are:

** Barking and Dagenham**

Barking Learning Centre, 20/01/2014 - 09:00 – 13:00

** Ealing**

Southall Park, 25/01/2014 - 14:00 – 17:00

** Greenwich**

Discount Cycles, Trafalgar Road SE10, 18/01/2014 - 12:00 – 15:00

** Hackney**

Broadway Market, 23/01/2014 - 16:00 - 19:00

Mare Street, 30/01/2014 - 16:00 – 19:00

** Hammersmith and Fulham**

Evans Cycles, Fulham, 18/01/2014 - 12:00 - 14:00

Putney Bridge Bus Station, 21/01/2014 - 13:00 - 14:00

Westfield Central Line Station, 25/01/2014 - 12:00 – 14:00

** Merton**

Wimbledon National Rail Station, 21/01/2014 - 16:00 – 18:00

** Southwark**

Morrisons, Peckham, 18/01/2014 - 10:00 - 15:00

Southwark University, London Road, 24/01/2014 - 14:00 - 16:00

Contact your local Safer Transport Team for details of events taking place near you: http://www.met.police.uk/transport/the_teams.html or visit any of the pan-London Cycle Task Force events http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Cycle-marking-events/1400005859885/safertransportcyclesecurity.

Over 40,000 bicycles have been marked and registered on BikeRegister by police in London since October 2012.

Around 20,000 bikes are reported stolen in London each year. Thieves think cycle theft is a low-risk, high-reward crime. The MPS and TfL are working together to continue to reduce cycle theft in London. The partnership efforts to deal with cycle theft in London have seen offences fall by 10.5% between October 2012 and September 2013 with over 2,400 fewer offences.

The number of bike thefts in London from October 2012 to September 2013 was 21073, with 21,488 in 2012 and 20,411 in 2011 over the same time period. Against a three-year average (used to flatten out fluctuations caused by spells of extreme weather) bike theft was down by 10.5 per cent.

Superintendent Rob Revill, Safer Transport Command, said: "We urge all cyclists to have their bicycle security marked and registered and in the last 12 months, police officers in London have marked over 40,000 bicycles for free to help Londoners keep their bike secure and lock thieves out. Events are happening all over London, so please check our website or follow us on twitter for updates."

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s Deputy Director of Enforcement and On-Street Operations, said: “Whether you woke up on Christmas Day to find a shiny new bike under the tree, or your New Years Resolution is to get the bike out of the shed and get pedalling to work, please take a minute to think about cycle security. There are a few simple steps you can take to ‘Lock Thieves Out’ – use decent locks of gold ‘sold secure standard’, lock wheels and frame to the stand, and deter thieves by having your prized possession visibly security marked and registered at bikeregister.com. Tackling cycle theft is an important step for us at TfL in achieving the Mayor’s ambition to get more people cycling –and we, alongside our policing partners, are committed to improving cycle security in the capital.”

Andrew Knights, Managing Director of BikeRegister, the UK's national cycle database, said: "Unmarked bikes that are stolen are very rarely reunited with their owners as police have no way of locating who a recovered bike belongs to. If you were lucky enough to get a new bike for Christmas you really need to take advantage of the many BikeRegister bike marking events being organised by MPS and TfL across London this month. Having your bike marked and registered will help police identify and verify that you are the legitimate owner if your bike is ever stolen or sold illegally.”

Keep your bike secure

Follow these tips to lock thieves out and ensure your bike remains safe and secure.

1. Get your bike security marked and registered at BikeRegister.

2. Record details of your bike. Frame number (normally found underneath the bike between the pedals or where the back wheel slots in), BikeRegister number, other distinguishing features, and take a photo.

3. Use locks of gold 'Sold Secure' standard. Also, use two different types of lock, with at least one being a high quality D-lock. It takes thieves a few seconds to cut through poor quality locks - make it as difficult for them as possible.

4. Lock the frame and both wheels to the cycle parking stand

5. Make the locks and bike hard to manoeuvre. Secure your bike as close to the stand as possible.

6. Take parts that are easy to remove with you. For example, saddles and wheels. Or use secure skewers, which can increase security by securing the bike's components to the frame permanently, making it difficult for thieves to steal parts such as saddle or wheels.

7. Lock your bike at recognised secure cycle parking. It should be well lit and covered by CCTV.

8. Take the same care to lock your bike securely at home. Bikes get stolen from communal hallways, gardens and sheds.

9. Don't buy a stolen second-hand bike. Insist on proof of ownership and check the bike frame number at BikeRegister.

10. If your bike has been stolen, contact the police. Give them your BikeRegister number, photo and any other details.

    For thefts from the railway, Tube, DLR and Tramlink stations, contact the British Transport Police via their website or call 0800 405 040

    For thefts within the City of London, contact City of London Police via their website or call 020 7601 2000

    For thefts anywhere else in Greater London, contact Metropolitan Police Service via their website or call 101

-ENDS-

Find us at:

Twitter: @MPSSTC

Website: http://content.met.police.uk/Site/safertransport