Police And Thieves

Had my brand new Pista stolen from railings in Richmond town centre on Sat.
Grey and white flip flop.
I reported it to the police but in reality am I gonna see it again or just see my monthly payments leave my payslip for the next 9 months????

SHIT SHIT SHIT. Sorry to hear that. Keep a beady eye on ebay, gumtree and Brick lane market on Sundays (I think?)

Had my brand new Pista stolen from railings in Richmond town centre on Sat.
Grey and white flip flop.

Bad luck HARRIS !! :(

I reported it to the police but in reality am I gonna see it again or just see my monthly payments leave my payslip for the next 9 months????

You are unlikely to see it again, the police will not pursue the case.

Thanks Tynan,
My cynical thoughts too;just can't stop mentally beating myself in for being lulled into a sunny afternoon lapse of awareness.These guys know what they're looking for and execute a quick pro job within seconds.
Police said they'd check out CCTV but what good is that???

Thanks for the info Multi Grooves;I'll check them out.
So pissed off........I was really getting into fixed wheel cycling dunno if I can be patient and wait 2 months for another Condor if I get insurance.

Harris, would mind telling us how the bike was locked and what lock(s) was (were) used? It might help others...

it's always fucking forums with polices, bike stolen? fill in a forum, mobile stolen? forum, gang raped by redneck? forum, tube stations and church been blown up nearby? forum, someone invaded iraq? fill in a fucking forums.

Richmond, I honestly wasn't expected it to be stolen in richmonds, spare us the detail of how and where you lock it.

sorry to hear your Pista got stolen, I can sympathese when my bike got stolen right outside my house.

Hi ASM
It was locked with an all in one cable lock;frame and both wheels secured to iron railings.If I was using my courier bag I would have had 2 cables and locks but cycling light on Sat.........

Might have some wealthy residents but the general level of crime especially petty crime(not that I consider my bike petty)is high...lots of phone muggings etc. guess it pays for the next hit of whatever!!!
Maybe Boris should have his bike nicked see what he does........
Couldn't agree more about those Forums.

Thanks Tynan,
My cynical thoughts too;just can't stop mentally beating myself in for being lulled into a sunny afternoon lapse of awareness.These guys know what they're looking for and execute a quick pro job within seconds.

Happens to us all - I have had quite a few bikes stolen. Where you insured ? Does your purchase include insurance anywhere in the small print ? Was it bought by credit card ?

I know the feeling only too well :(

Police said they'd check out CCTV but what good is that???

Excuse my continuing cynicism, but I doubt they will bother (regardless of what they tell you) - and to be fair to the police, they (unfortunately for the victims of bike theft) have better things to follow up.

I had a bike stolen from just near the tills of Budgens in Belsize Park, I brought it into the shop left it within sight and wondered around, checking down the elise every now and again to see if it was still there, eventually it wasn't. Some bastard nicked it.

Informed the police, they told me they would check the CCTV footage (now bear in mind most shops run a cyclic tape based CCTV system with tapes cycled weekly with a tape put in for each day - ie: this Monday's recordings wipe over last Mondays' recordings).

Passing Budgens a few days later I wondered in, asked the manager how it was all going, any sign of the bike or bike thief and so on . . . nothing to report, I also casually asked whether the police got the CCTV footage alright and whether there was a decent image of the bastard who nicked my bike, he told me that the police had not been in and that they never bother, even when bags are stolen, shoplifters caught, kids chucking dustbins through the window (true story!) and so on - they never bother.

But he gave me the CCTV footage (a ropey old VHS cassette) which I took to the police station to get them to have a look at - but they basically refused as firstly no one was around to see me and they simply would not have the time, they would not even let me leave the tape there as they could not legally accept it (or something like that).

So . . . you may have better luck, but to be brutally honest, it is unlikely. This kind of thing is not rare, it would seem to be standard procedure if not official procedure, the article below kind of sums it up.

*Police too busy to probe Portsmouth station bike theft:
Richard Deakin had his bike stolen after leaving it at Portsmouth and Southsea railway station

28 June 2008

A man whose bike was stolen under the nose of a CCTV camera has been told the police don't have time to look at the footage.
Richard Deakin was stunned to be told the force doesn't have the resources to examine a video of a crook stealing his bike.

And police have said that to investigate the crime further he ought to examine the CCTV footage himself.

Mr Deakin's bike was stolen from a cycle shed fitted with a CCTV camera at Portsmouth & Southsea railway station.

Mr Deakin, 23, of Castle Road, Southsea, said: 'It's madness. What's the point of having a CCTV camera there?'

Mr Deakin left his bike, as usual, at the station at 8am so he could catch a train to work in Littlehampton. It was locked with two bike locks.

He works in a children's home and stayed overnight and got the train back the following morning. He was then devastated to discover his £250 racing bike had been snatched.

But thinking the bike was overlooked by a CCTV camera, he assumed the culprit would be easy to catch. However, when he contacted British Transport Police, he was shocked by the response.

Mr Deakin said: 'I was told they didn't have the resources to look at the CCTV and I should claim on my insurance.

'I asked what that meant and said 'Does that mean you don't have time?' 'He said 'basically, yes'.'

BTP said that all incidents are prioritised according to the nature of the crime. All violent crimes, including assaults, murders, and robbery, caught on CCTV will be looked at without exception. But footage of minor crimes – namely bike thefts and mobile phone thefts – will only be looked at if they know it happened within a nine-hour time frame.

The footage was not examined because the theft of Mr Deakin's bike happened over 24 hours. Natalie Davison, a spokeswoman for BTP, said it was not a 'policy', but a general 'rule of thumb'. Each incident was dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Sergeant Derek Bish, who heads a seven-strong team of BTP officers in Portsmouth, said: 'It is important, but we do not have infinite resources to deal with things. I would love to say yes. Is it the best use of police time to have someone sitting for hours looking at CCTV or out on high-visibility patrols on a train?'*

a cable lock? they're quite easy to cut with a professional cutter (that how my last bike got stolen).

I live in Wimbledon, fairy low keys for a bike theft, mostly phone theft like Richmonds, I suppose they saw an opportunity, especially with cable lock.

it's always fucking forums with polices, bike stolen? fill in a forum, mobile stolen? forum, gang raped by redneck? forum, tube stations and church been blown up nearby? forum, someone invaded iraq? fill in a fucking forums.

Ha :D

I think they make you fill in the form because:

a) if gives you a sense of closure, not in that anything is resolved but that you feel you are doing something about the situation.

b) You effectively do all the paper work for them, they only have to issue a crime report number and file the form.

apparently, one policeman a year is eaten by his own paperwork, 3 more become trees, and a staggering 40 die from bloodloss through papercuts. It's not all catching thieves for our lads in blue.

I wouldn't be surprised if Britain have to fill in a forum in order to grab India to expand their Empire.

"which country would you like? India? nice choice, good teas, cheap spice, suicidal taxi driver, let see.. ah there we are, 'Forum A53, India', reason? oh Empire, good choice, more Darjeeling for us!"

Pro cutters no problem;quick snip and away.Guess stealing those 4x4's isn't much fun anymore probably can't afford the petrol to get the car out of the neighbourhood so now picking on singlespeed bikers.......

even if we have to fill in a forum and quite likely nothing happen, it still better than says. Spain, which there's no forum-filling at all, if your bike got stolen, you just brought yourself another day to live (Spain quite anti-bike).

Pro cutters no problem;quick snip and away.Guess stealing those 4x4's isn't much fun anymore probably can't afford the petrol to get the car out of the neighbourhood so now picking on singlespeed bikers.......

The strongest type of lock are usually D-lock, Kryponite Evolution Mini and/or Kryponite Fahgetaboutit Mini is the best choice.

I left my Bianchi Pista in King's Cross for 3 night in a row because I was ill and couldn't come and grab the bike and bring it home to Wimbledon, but after returning to King's Cross, somehow the bastard is still there.

Pro cutters no problem;quick snip and away.Guess stealing those 4x4's isn't much fun anymore probably can't afford the petrol to get the car out of the neighbourhood so now picking on singlespeed bikers.......

Stealing bicycle is attractive because it is a low risk crime, the police will not assign man power to finding your bike (or any bike), the theft of a bike will simply not be pursued by law enforcement. Why not steal a bike ? What are the risks ? Unless you are caught in the act by a policeman or the owner (and he is willing to confront you) then it is an entirely risk free venture.

bike are much easier to disappear under the radar, whether car unless it's a poxy Nova or 5, is much harder and required more professionalism (especially if it a high end car, sometime part get sold to cover their track).

However in London, especially in this group, other cyclist will able to keep an eyes out for each other's bike, you be surprised by how many cyclists managed to spotted and even managed to get the bike back here.

I'll make a purchase if/when I get those insurance forums.....I use Kryptonite cable and heavy duty lock at work and my shed for my Bianchi road bikes;paying the price for not carrying one of those on Sat now!!!!!!Harry Hindsight

I've said it before and I will say it again.

Human shit on the handle bars and saddle = safe bike.

I've said it before and I will say it again.

Human shit on the handle bars and saddle = safe bike.

Now I understand why you didn't have grip on your blue Nitto drop bar.

Now I understand why you didn't have grip on your blue Nitto drop bar.

Exactly !

I am considering offering a personal insurance service, when you arrive somewhere simply call me and I will cycle over and then shit on your bike.

You will not need a lock.

My fees will be reasonable, covering the extra food requirements and a little something on top to feed my crack cocaine habit.

I am considering offering a personal insurance service, when you arrive somewhere simply call me and I will cycle over and then shit on your bike.

You will not need a lock.

My fees will be reasonable, covering the extra food requirements and a little something on top to feed my crack cocaine habit.

Maybe you could start a mail-order service, so one could carry it with him all the time?