Police are asking hospital staff who commute by bicycle to pay extra attention to security of their bikes while at work, after numerous reports from across the country of bikes being stolen from hospitals during the pandemic.
The UK police National Lead for Cycle Crime is British Transport Police (BTP) Supt Mark Cleland. He said: “Throughout the pandemic our key workers have stepped up and worked tirelessly to save lives, working long hours and putting themselves at risk. To think that there is a criminal element that targets our national heroes by stealing their bikes and taking away their means to get to work is sickening.
“Cycle crime is not a victimless crime. Criminals take away our means of transport, our means to stay fit and healthy and often our most cherished possession with many happy memories. It’s often a case that those who have their bike stolen never buy another bike again.
“So help us tackle cycle crime. Take on the best advice to protect your bike and if you have any information that can target those who target our key workers then contact your local Police, you can even call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Help us to help our key workers.”
Doug Skins of the official police security scheme Secured by Design said: “The number of people cycling has increased considerably during the pandemic, with many key workers preferring to cycle as part or all of their commute. Indeed, it was reported in the national media that 1.3 million people purchased a bike during the first national lockdown. However, the latest BikeRegister survey has seen significant increases the theft of bikes for each of the last seven months of 2020 compared to the same months the previous years – increases of between 28.1 per cent and 69.4pc – and it’s absolutely appalling that hospitals and NHS staff are being targeted by these thieves.
“Our tips are designed to help you keep your bike safe and secure, and reduce the likelihood of you becoming a victim of bike theft.”
And James Brown, BikeRegister Managing Director, said: “We have been shocked at the rapid rise of cycle theft recently, especially considering it was already at unacceptable levels. To combat this, we are urging cyclists and retailers to register bikes at www.bikeregister.com and to security mark the frame with a BikeRegister marking kit. Registering will help if your bike is stolen, but only marking it will help protect it from thieves. Marking your bike with a BikeRegister kit makes it almost half as likely to be stolen as an unmarked bike.”
The Secured by Design website has a dedicated section on cycle security – https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/bike-security.
