Crime reduction officers from British Transport Police (BTP) are embarking on another circuit of educational surgeries to encourage owners of pedal cycles to ensure their property is more secure.
At various dates between March and June, officers will be attending rail stations to try and ensure as many commuters as possible have their bikes securely marked.<br><br>Officers will be equipped with Immobitag labels for bikes and offering passengers advice on how to register onto the Immobilise site.<br><br>They will also be checking bike racks and leaving crime prevention advice for those owners who fail to adequately lock and secure their pedal cycles.<br><br>PC Jerry Isterling said: “BTP is offering Immobitag labels to be fitted on to bikes. The labels ensure that stolen bikes are easier to identify and given back to their original owners if recovered.<br><br>“We are also using BikeRegister, who have achieved accreditation by the Association of Chief Police Officers’ initiative ‘Secured by Design’ for their product.”<br><br>PC Isterling added that theft of cycles was an ongoing problem on the railway network and has been compounded because many bike owners are not following simple measures to ensure they don’t fall victim to thieves.<br><br>"With the lighter, longer evenings on their way, there are naturally going to be more and more people opting to ride their bikes in the coming months.<br><br>"A difficulty we face is that many people who ride bikes leave them at railway stations for very long periods of time, with some even owning two bikes and leaving them locked up at stations overnight.<br><br>"Because of this, it’s more important than ever for us to ensure that cycle owners are educated and informed about how best to protect themselves from thieves.<br><br>"There are several steps people can take to ensure their bikes are adequately marked and secured to help reduce the risk of becoming a victim of bike theft.<br><br>"The best thing to remember is to register your bike and also to ensure two solid locks are used to secure both the frame and the wheels to the stand. If a bike is adequately marked, it makes it much easier to identify and therefore reduces its desirability to thieves."<br><br>Crime reduction officers will be stationed near the cycle racks at the above locations between 4.00pm and 7.30pm on the dates stated.<br><br>Passengers who do not have their bikes with them at the cycle marking events can apply to have a label posted to them by emailing [email protected] and including the name of the station their cycle is left at.<br><br>Tips:<br><br>Bicycles are a popular target for thieves. Here are some BTP tips to ensure your cycle remains secure:<br><br>• Always lock your bicycle whenever you leave it at a designated cycle rack area. Lock the frame and both wheels to a cycle stand.<br><br>• Consider using more than one lock to secure your bike and ensure that you use a recognised security standard lock. D-locks, extension cable or heavy chain locks are certified locking mechanisms. It is important to ensure that yours are up to date.<br><br>• Make the lock(s) and bike hard to manoeuvre when parked by ensuring little room between the stand and the bike.<br><br>• Do not allow your lock(s) to come into contact with the ground, where they are viewed as more vulnerable.<br><br>• Take a photograph of your bike and record your frame number and key details. This will be crucial in recovering your bike if it is stolen.<br><br>• Mark your frame with your postcode in two separate locations, one of which should be hidden. Attach a ‘Coded Cycle’ label to reduce the risk of making your bike a target for theft.<br><br>• Do not ride with valuables in open baskets or panniers.<br><br>• Register your bicycle at www.immobilise.com<br><br>Passengers are encouraged to attend the following locations:<br><br>MARCH<br><br> * 23 March – Brookwood station<br> * 24 March – Walton on Thames station<br> * 30 March – Sevenoaks station<br> * 31 March – Paddock Wood station<br><br>APRIL<br><br> * 5 April – Three Bridges station<br> * 7 April – Horsham station<br> * 13 April – Ashford (Kent) station<br> * 14 April – Fareham station<br> * 19 April – Staines station<br> * 21 April – Weybridge station<br> * 26 April – Horley station<br> * 27 April – Southampton Central station<br> * 28 April – Fleet station<br><br>MAY<br><br> * 11 May – Worthing station<br> * 12 May – Brighton station<br> * 17 May – West Malling station<br> * 18 May – Guildford station<br> * 19 May – Woking station<br> * 31 May – Richmond station<br><br>JUNE<br><br> * 1 June – Fratton<br> * 2 June – Sittingbourne station<br> * 8 June – East Croydon station<br> * 9 June – Havant station<br> * 22 June – Farnborough station<br> * 23 June – Basingstoke station<br> * 27 June – Waterloo station<br> * 28 June – Tonbridge station.
Meanwhile BTP prepares to roll out cycles to many of its police stations across the north west.
Sergeant Caroline Farrow said: “The new mountain bikes will give our officers greater freedom to police the railway – particularly in those lineside locations which can be difficult to access through more conventional four-wheeled methods. They will also give us an added edge when pursuing criminals in similar locations.
“We aim to use the bikes as often as possible and they will be particularly useful in tackling some of the anti-social behaviour issues we face in and around the network – particularly during school holiday periods when youngsters seem to be drawn to certain parts of the railway.”
The arrival of BTP’s specialist mountain bikes has coincided with the launch of new cycle storage at various points on the Merseyrail network.
The storage at Southport is housed in a new cycle centre which also provides cycle maintenance for the public and bikes for hire as part of the Southport Cycle Town initiative.
Sgt Farrow added: “The security offered by the new storage is excellent and will certainly make life more difficult for thieves seeking to profit by stealing cycles from the area’s rail stations.”
Bart Schmeink, Merseyrail’s Managing Director said: “Bike security is an important reason for using Merseyrail’s great new bike stores at many of our stations.
“They are free of charge and I would encourage cyclist who leave their bikes chained to lamp posts and fences near our stations to make full use of them to make sure their bikes are safe and secure.”
Michelle Langshaw, from the Southport Cycle Town Team, said: “We are very pleased to be supporting this initiative and will be maintaining the new BTP mountain bikes in our cycle centre which is now fully open at Southport station.”
