Cycle Security
Operation Spoke
During January 2010, officers throughout York were involved in the launch of Operation Spoke, a large-scale multi-agency cycle registration initiative.
The aim is to register over 10,000 cycles within York to reduce theft, increase arrests for cycle theft and to increase the likelihood of members of the public being reunited with their cycles.
The initiative was implemented by PC Jon Hodgeon and PS Jon Asvadi of the Guildhall Safer Neighbourhoods Team working in partnership with Cycle City York, Safer York Partnership and York Community Watch.
PS Jon Asvadi said "This is a great example of how we can use the expertise and resources of different agencies and individuals to achieve solid and effective reductions in crime. Without the involvement of every partner an operation of this scale would not be possible."
Officers are marking cycles with a unique North Yorkshire reference number in permanent UV marker pens. Details of the cycle's owner are then uploaded to a specially designed database linked to the reference number. All operational officers within York are to be issued with Ultra Violet torches to make the scanning of bicycles very quick and simple. All cycles registered as part of the initiative will also be automatically registered on the national property database.
A large number of events have been organised throughout the York area with all of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams getting involved. For more information on events; dates and venues click here
5 a day
Did you know that on average 5 cycles are stolen every day in York? That's over 1,800 bikes a year!!
Approximately one third of stolen bikes were left unattended on the street without being locked at all! Most locked cycles are stolen because they are only locked to themselves (i.e. through a wheel and the frame) or only a wheel is locked to another object. In the first case the thief simply picks up the bike and breaks the lock later, in the second case they undo the locked wheel and take the rest of the cycle - usually stealing a wheel from another nearby bike to replace it!
For those thieves who do break locks, they are more likely to opt for a cycle with a cheap, poor quality lock.
What Lock To Buy
The standard of lock that you use affects the likelihood of your bike being stolen. There are several different kinds of lock including - armoured, extension cable, heavy chain and D-lock. Whichever type you chose always make sure that the lock is certified.
Expect to pay £40 plus for a certified locking system. There are many good sites such as www.whycycle.co.uk that provide advice on cycling including the types of lock most suitable for your bike with examples of certified locks.
Alternatively you can contact a reputable cycle retailer who will be able to advise you. Remember, some insurance policies stipulate the use of certain locks to qualify for insurance.
How To Lock Your Bike
Through the frame and round an immovable object. That's it!
It's amazing how many people don't understand this simple advice. 'Through the frame' means that the lock should pass through one of the 'closed' sections of the frame - i.e. the front triangle, or one of the two triangles at the back, either side of the rear wheel. Many people don't like short D-locks because they can't get the bike close enough to railings or similar. If you lock through the rear of the frame then the handlebars don't get in the way and you'll find you can get your bike up close to almost anything. This has the added bonus of making the lock very hard for a thief to get at.
'Immovable object' means anything which is securely bolted down, and at least as hard to break as your lock - e.g. cycle racks or iron railings. If you're locking to a post (e.g. a signpost) then make sure it's tall enough so that a thief can't just lift your bike over the top.
Although they're being removed, the city still has quite a few 'wheelbender' racks left (e.g. outside Tesco's on Cowley Road, and outside the library). DO NOT put your front wheel in them and lock through it. Either you'll come back to find only a wheel, or someone will bump into your bike and bend your wheel (hence the name). You can lock a bike to them, put the back of the frame up to the rack and put a D-lock through one rear triangle and one hoop of the rack.
Quick Release Bike Parts
Lots of bikes now have quick release axles on the wheels and quick release bolts on the seatpost. These are very useful for mending punctures, putting bikes in small spaces and adjusting riding position. They also make it very easy for thieves to steel your wheels and saddle. You can replace them with normal nuts and bolts, but in the case of wheels this requires quite a lot of labour and is costly, and it's very easy for thieves to carry a couple of spanners and undo them anyway. Much better is to fit locking skewers. You carry a key on your keyring which lets you adjust everything, you retain the benefit of skewered wheels being stronger than bolt-on axles.
How Can I Further Reduce the Chances of My Cycle Being Stolen?
Give the cycle a unique identity. You can post-code it using an ultraviolet (UV) marker or you can have a tag fitted which has a unique code readable by a scanner.
'Tagging' Your Cycle
Tagging your cycle assists the police to return it to you if it is stolen. The 'tag' is registered and recorded on a national database, when a bike is recovered it can be scanned which will show the owners details allowing it to be returned. Every year hundreds of cycles are recovered by the police but never returned to their rightful owners as they cannot be traced.
In York we use Trovan Cycle Tagging which is provided by the following retailers:
Cycle Heaven
Cycle Scene
Bob Trotter Cycles
The Bike Outlet
Fulford Cycles
Halfords
Haxby Cycles
York Cycleworks
Immobilise
Register all your marked property on www.immobilise.com, the Police approved register for stolen/lost goods.
Security Products Available Direct From Us
We sell a range of security products, please visit the Community Watch cycle and vehicle security products page for details.
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