Police have launched a new operation to tackle the growing problem of bicycle theft in the county of Lincolnshire.
To combat a recent spate of thefts of bicycles, Lincolnshire Police will be holding a series of bicycle marking days across the area.
There has been an increasing number of bike thefts across the county, with 1,832 bicycles stolen between April and November 2011, a rise of 14 per cent.
The new scheme will introduce bike passports and encourage bike marking, along with the use of microchips that will help officers return bicycles to their owners when they are recovered.
Bikes are being stolen from a variety of locations, including sheds and garages, as well as being taken from outside shops and houses.
Over recent months the police have made a number of arrests and hundreds of bikes have been recovered but officers have been unable to return many of them to their owners due the lack of detail on the bikes given to the police at the time of reporting the crime.
During the week of action, local police officers and PCSOs will be out in the community delivering leaflets on crime prevention and handing out ‘bicycle passports’.
These passports record the details of the bike, including its make, model and frame number, with space for a photograph to be attached which is then put in a safe place. Then, should the cycle be stolen and later recovered, the ‘passport’ will help officers to return it to its rightful owner.
Bicycle passports will also be available from local police stations and many local retailers.
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Statistics found via the internet.
Filed under: Bicycle Security, Bike locks/security, cycle storage, cycle theft Tagged: | Best sheds, Bike Security, Bike storage, Cycle locks, cycle storage
