Cyclists in Bath are being targeted by Avon and Somerset Police in a concerted campaign to counter an increase in bike thefts over the summer and into autumn.
Officers will be on the look-out for unlocked or inadequately-locked bikes and will be attaching crime prevention leaflets to make their owners aware.
They’ll be stopping cyclists to warn them about the bike theft problem in the city, and will be offering specific crime prevention advice on locks and security.
This week police are also running the first of a series of cycling operations on the Bath-Bristol cycle track and the Two Tunnels route – a high-profile exercise to stress the importance to cyclists of looking after their bikes at all times.
Bath Sgt Clive Summerill said: “Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in and around Bath – and that’s bringing with it an increase in opportunities for thieves.
“We’re determined to do what we can to catch them, but we need help from the cycling community and the general public to make it much more difficult for them to operate.
“We want to educate cyclists about the risks they take every time they park. People are spending hundreds if not thousands of pounds on bikes and equipment, yet many don’t take adequate security measures.
“As well as offering crime prevention advice, all our officers will be on alert for and checking any suspicious cyclists to see if their bikes are stolen.”
Figures show that since April there have been 262 bike thefts in and around Bath – more than one a day. Earlier this month around 30 were taken from a secure locked container at the Odd Down cycle track.
Bike security advice is available on the police website www.avonandsomerset.police.uk under the Crime Prevention heading.
Simple steps include using a good quality lock, registering your bike for free by visiting the national property database www.immobilise.com, insuring your bike and using electronic tagging or property marking products. Always inform the police immediately if your bike is stolen.
Sgt Summerill said that officers would be carrying out undercover patrols in an attempt to catch the thieves in action. He’s calling on cyclists to make their property more difficult to steal.
He said: “It’s amazing that some owners fit an inferior lock – and sometimes none at all – when they leave their bikes and think they will be safe.
“We recommend that people buying a bike spend at least another ten per cent of the price on a solid thief-proof lock. Also, they should remove their quick-release wheels and lock them to the frame of the bike and to cycle racks.”
Officers are asking bike shops throughout the city to co-operate and spread the security message.