35 bikes – with a combined value of £42,390 – have been reported stolen in Guernsey since October.
Guernsey Police have launched ‘Operation Bass’ to try and stop the thefts occurring with a warning to owners that their bikes should be securely stored even when they are in perceived safe spaces such as secure car parks.
Officers are also working to stop the thefts directly, with two arrests already made as a result of proactive policing, said Sergeant Jarrod Turian.
“As a result, in this uplift in cycle thefts officers put together a team who have used live time CCTV as well as overt and unmarked patrols to actively target and disrupt this criminal behaviour,” he explained.
“As a result of the proactive response, Police Officers have made two arrests, so far, with one suspect on bail pending further enquiries, another is so far charged with three pedal cycle thefts, one of those in a burglary of a commercial premise, (combined value of £6000) and also remains on bail for further thefts still under investigation. On one of the arrests as part of this proactive action Officers were able to recover the bike and return it, before the owner was even aware it had been stolen.”
Despite some unconfirmed reports about locks being cut through so the bike can be stolen, some of those taken haven’t been secured.
As part of Operation Bass, Guernsey Police are working with bicycle retailers to encourage cyclists to buy high-quality bike locks, with a 10% discount on any bought from Ian Brown’s, Le Mont Saint Garage, Duques Garage, Bicycle Solutions, Wheels & Co, Adventure Cycles, and Cycle World between now and the end of February.
Christopher Williamson, Guernsey Police’s Crime Reduction Advisor, said the key message is to properly lock and secure your bicycle wherever it is stored.
“Due to a sharp increase in reports of stolen pedal cycles over the last six weeks, we have been working closely with bike shops in Guernsey to discuss how we can work together to prevent these crimes from taking place.
“We are pleased that these retailers will be offering this discount and would urge islanders to take them up on their generous offer, and purchase a good quality, well rated lock to secure their bicycle. It doesn’t matter where it is parked, lock it up and keep it secure.”
Secured by Design (SBD) work with Police nationally and we recommend their work and standards. Their guidelines are as follows:
Remember to record as many details of your bike as you can, such as the make, model, size, colour, frame number (normally found underneath the bike between the pedals or where the back wheel slots in) and take a photo.
Security marking your bike using an SBD recognised forensic asset marking or etching kit is another highly effective, visible deterrent to thieves and an established method of reducing theft.
It can take thieves as little as a few seconds to cut through some locks that haven’t achieved the Police Preferred Specification. Whatever the type of lock, look for the SBD logo or see the SBD approved list at the bottom of the page.
For more tips on bicycle security: https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/bike-security
Guernsey Police Inspector Adam Miller said most of the stolen bikes turn up within a few days and are returned to their owner.
“Our investigations have shown that these are opportunistic thefts,” he said.
“We haven’t seen a big trend of bikes being re-sold or shipped off island; instead they are often found abandoned days or weeks later. Thieves might spot a chance to easily steal someone’s personal belongings, in this instance pedal cycles, and commit to it. Something as simple as purchasing a good quality cycle lock can deter these potential criminals from even thinking about stealing, which for the bike owner, is much cheaper than having to replace the bike entirely should we fail to return it. We are committing to investigating these offences however the prevention of crime is a key part of the police and the community working in tandem to tackle criminality, and in cases like this, is essential to reducing offending.
“As well as being able to prevent potential thefts by acting when we have seen suspicious behaviour, Operation Bass has seen us cover a number of stolen bikes, and take the opportunity to stop and engage with the public. The overwhelming response has been really positive, people have been pleased to be stopped on their legitimate bicycles, being keen to chat with Officers for a few minutes about the problem and show that they legitimately own that bike. The people we have spoken with have been reassured that Officers are actively out looking to protect their property from those who are clearly more than prepared to steal them, that positive engagement has been fantastic. Officers will continue to stop and speak to cyclists where they can and verify the ownership of the bikes and will continue to be take other proactive measures to arrest those responsible for the thefts.”
Where e-bikes have been stolen, a spokesperson confirmed sometimes they have also not been adequately secured, leaving them open to opportunistic thefts.
“The most important thing that people should consider when buying a bicycle is buying adequate security along with it,” said Guernsey Police.
“In the majority of cases where a bicycle is stolen, the security has either been limited, or not in place at all.
“Officers have noted that the investment people make in security, such as bike locks, is often not equitable to the value of their bike (for example, someone owning a £15 lock for a £3,000 bike).
“We would strongly encourage people with bicycles, particularly those that are of high value, to invest in more robust security systems and locks to ensure it is not easy for a potential thief to take them. Any lock is better than no lock, but many cheaper locks are very easy to break.”