The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) has launched a new report, titled Broken Locks, Broken Promises. It excoriates the Metropolitan Police for its lack of action on stolen bicycles in London.
LCC surveyed 1,924 London cyclists, to gauge their experience and attitudes to bike theft. It estimates that a total of 40,000 bikes are stolen annually in London, with 74% of respondents to its latest survey reporting that a member of their family had had a bike stolen. 51% of thefts occurred on-street.
79% of those reporting loss of a bike said the Met Police had taken no action and 69% considered the police response inadequate. Only 2% of stolen bikes are recovered, according to the LCC, one of the lowest percentages of any UK police force.
Earlier this year, we reported that the British Transport Police had reversed its policy in which it stated that it would not investigate theft of cycles left outside a train station for more than two hours. There's been a call from the Liberal Democrats for the setting of "bait bikes" fitted with a concealed tracker to help identify bike thieves and bring them to justice.
The new report quotes one respondent to the LCC’s survey, who said: “Reported, have the person on CCTV, yet the police did nothing. Not important to them, but it meant the world to me.”
Another respondent reported: “I received a letter from the police that was dated the same day as the theft saying they were closing the investigation due to a lack of evidence. They hadn't even requested CCTV.”
Then there was the respondent who told the LCC: “I found someone riding my stolen bike, followed them, watched them lock up the bike and leave. Called the police. Two policemen came.
“I had frame number and photo of the bike with distinctive customisations. Even when standing next to my stolen bike they would do nothing. They said we should leave a note for the guy who was riding it to contact the police when he came back.”
LCC claims that many cycle thefts aren’t reported because the police’s response is so poor. Perversely, this enables the police to claim rates of cycle theft are falling in the capital.
Another effect cited by LCC is that victims of theft reduce or abandon their cycling, potentially adding to traffic, pollution and the risk of road traffic accidents.
What to do?
Rather than just hand-wringing and finger-pointing, LCC makes a range of recommendations for action by the Met Police and the Mayor of London.
Its top three recommendations are:
- That the mayor reinstates the cycle theft task force and commits to a 10% annual reduction in cycle theft.
- That the Met Police tracks bicycle theft properly and enforces effectively both on the street and online.
- That the government makes bike marking and logging with a bike register mandatory, as it is in France.
Other recommendations from the LCC’s report are:
- That councils, TfL and Network Rail install secure cycle parking at stations and elsewhere.
- That bike retailers and online marketplaces teach people about bike security via online and in-shop campaigns.
A petition has been launched to accompany the new report, which calls on the deputy major for policing and crime, and the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to implement its recommendations. You can sign the petition here.
