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Electronic bike tags on offer to Loughborough shoppers
Posted on 11/05/2009
Electronic bike tags on offer to Loughborough shoppers
People living in Charnwood are being offered free electronic tagging devices which will be available at Loughborough Market Place on Wednesday 13 May and Wednesday 3 June at the Community Safety Partnership Stand.
They will also be available to Loughborough University students from the Security Section on the University campus.
Crime analysis shows that areas with a high student population have higher incidents of bike theft than other areas. This has a serious impact on the lives of students, many of whom rely on their bikes for transport. The cost of replacing a bike, particularly if it is not insured, can also be prohibitively high. In the last year, 465 bicycles have been reported stolen across the Loughborough policing area and 20 people have appeared in court and been convicted of bike theft.
The police in Loughborough have teamed up with Charnwood Borough Council to launch a jointly funded campaign to reduce the number of bike thefts and return recovered bikes to their rightful owners.
The electronic tag is inserted into the frame of the bike and cannot be removed. Each tag has a unique serial number and details of this number, and the registered owner, are held on a national database. The tag can be read by portable readers which are kept by the police. A warning label is displayed on the bike frame.
Inspector Tim McCabe, Commander of Loughborough Local Policing Unit, said; “If a bike is stolen and then recovered it is often difficult for us to identify who that bike belongs to. Tagging bikes is a great way of ensuring that it can be returned to its rightful owner and it also acts as a deterrent because the tag cannot be removed so it is always traceable. We would urge people with bikes to keep them locked whenever they leave them whether that is at home or when they’re out.”
Crime prevention tips include;
- Always use a good quality lock such as a ‘D’ lock or combination lock. Look for the ‘Sold Secure Limited’ approved models.
- When you leave your bike always make sure you lock it to something secure and immovable and take removable parts (saddle, quick-release wheels, lights etc.) with you or lock them to the bike.
- Lock your bike even if you keep it in your back garden or shed.
Dave Burge the Community Safety Officer for Charnwood Borough Council said; “Statistics show that you are 10 times less likely to have your bike stolen if it is tagged which is why we chose to adopt this scheme. In a pilot scheme that we ran last year with these tags, cycle theft was reduced by 58%. Bike owners can bring their bikes along to the Community Safety Partnership Stand and have them tagged.”