The Metropolitan Police is reminding owners of mopeds and scooters to ‘Lock, Chain and Cover’ their machines as the force relaunches campaign to reduce moped theft and crime, with support from Secured by Design, the national police crime prevention body.
‘Lock, Chain, Cover’ forms part of the Met’s Be Safe campaign, which supports Operation Venice and policing across London, with particular focus on the boroughs seeing the most bike theft – Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Haringey, Brent, Southwark, Barnet, Greenwich, Hackney, Islington, Camden, Lewisham and the City of Westminster.
The campaign is supported by the Motorcycle Industry Association and partners across the industry from manufacturers to insurers and trainers. Advertising will be seen across London, on buses and on pavement stencils at motorcycle parking bays which have seen high numbers of thefts and content will be posted on the Met’s social media channels.
Secured by Design (SBD) will be hosting the campaign webpage on its website, allowing visitors to see the Met’s security advice whilst also being able to see a list of security products relevant to the campaign which have achieved Police Preferred Specification and are therefore accredited by SBD.
Chief Inspector Jim Corbett, from Operation Venice, which tackles moped and motorcycle crime, said: “Officers from Operation Venice continue to tackle those that steal mopeds and scooters for criminal activity, and whilst we are making excellent headway on this, we continue to remind owners that they can help us by protecting their vehicles.
“A number of owners continue to park their scooters and motorcycles with minimal security measures – often only using a steering lock to prevent them from being stolen. It only takes seconds for a thief to steal one, if it is unprotected.
“That is why we have relaunched our campaign to encourage owners to protect their vehicle using ‘Lock, Chain and Cover’. Using additional security reduces the chances of your bike being stolen, which is reduced even further if multiple security measures are used.”
Met advice for owners is to:
– LOCK: Use a disc lock on the front wheel to stop your bike being wheeled away. Fit a grip lock to the throttle and engage the steering lock.
– CHAIN: Secure the rear wheel with a chain and a padlock. Attach the chain to a ground anchor or other fixed object where possible.
– COVER: Bike covers prevent immediate access to the controls and security features and stop thieves shopping for bike models.
