Bike Theft in Bristol

PC Frank

Hello everyone,
I am a new user on this forum and wanted to introduce myself to you all.

My name is Frank and I am a police officer working with the Community Safety Team at Newfoundland Road Police Station.

One of my roles is to reduce bike theft in Bristol city over the next two years in tandem (haha) with the timetable for cycling city.

I wanted to join this forum so that users would have an opportunity to contact me directly and discuss the issue of bike theft.

You may have found me skulking around some other bike forums.

Now for the contriversal part.......are you ready........(deep breath).......I am not a cyclist.

However, I do know something about crime reduction and I am concerned about the level of theft in the city and want to help prevent people becoming victim's of crime.

I hope that my presence on this forum will be of benefit to you. I won't always be able to provide the result you desire, and I won't always be able to tell you everything the police is doing (some of it is a bit secret squirrel). But I wil do my best to assist and advise you.

Cheers,

Frank

PC 1422 Frank Simonds
Crime Prevention Design Advisor
Bristol Community Safety Team
Newfoundland Road Police Station

fatblokefromwarwick

Welcome to the forum, Frank and congrats for your proactive approach.

Dazzza

A good way of reducing it is to have lbs have a wall in their workshop with photo's and details of stolen bikes that way should any show up in the shops....

That's one good thing about the scrotes that pinch bikes, most will hardly know how to fix the things, they all end up in a bike shop sooner or later.

loltoride

Have you thought about going to gumtree stolen bikes are very clear, I have had 3 bikes stolen without ever getting any of the bikes back. It is great having police on the forum what benefit to us I fail to see. Just my thoughts.

deffler

Even though im live miles away from Brizzle, I think its a good idea you joining the forum & hopefully you can make a difference to the people in your area.
Best of luck.

alfablue

estevens wrote:

Have you thought about going to gumtree stolen bikes are very clear, I have had 3 bikes stolen without ever getting any of the bikes back. It is great having police on the forum what benefit to us I fail to see. Just my thoughts.

Well firstly it is good for the police to have a presence here and hopefully dialogue with cyclists. There could be an exchange of ideas (such as your gumtree suggestion) and information. We also now know who to contact with related issues. Can only be good IMHO.

BlurRider

to mr.estevens. when u had your 3 bikes nicked,did u find them on gumtree?

loltoride

BlurRider wrote:

to mr.estevens. when u had your 3 bikes nicked,did u find them on gumtree?

I had seen one that could of been mine but no is the answer, If you look on there you can quite clearly tell the suspect adverts or walking down the street seeing young kids riding down the road on bikes 4 sizes to big for them.

Is there a reason why you asked me that?

Personally I dont beleive police are bothered at all about bike theft ask anyone who has lost a bike all Police ask is if you are insured.

Antony_de_H

A good way of reducing it is to have lbs have a wall in their workshop with photo's and details of stolen bikes that way should any show up in the shops....

I've started a blog that's kind of a virtual version of this idea:

www.stolenbristolbikes.com

It's been going for about four months now and so far about four of the bikes listed have been returned to their rightful owners.

If you're in Bristol or the surrounding area please subscribe or follow it, and if you're not in Bristol set up your own one for the local area, it's very easy to do.

Antony_de_H

Personally I dont beleive police are bothered at all about bike theft ask anyone who has lost a bike all Police ask is if you are insured.

That cuts both ways though. You'd be surprised how many people have their bikes stolen because they haven't locked them up securely (about a third of bikes stolen aren't locked up at all), or don't bother reporting them properly (you really want to give them as much detail as possible, including stuff like serial number). Sometimes people will post up about a stolen bike on a forum and won't even give really basic details like what colour it is. You get the impression they just want a crime number so they can claim on the insurance for something new and shiny.

The police got my bike back for me after I spotted it on eBay. You can't expect them to pull out all the stops looking for stolen bikes when there are much more serious crimes out there that need to be tackled. However if you see your bike for sale and can give them a lead they will be very interested.

saracenman09

Most of 'em will end up on ebay, have you seen how much bikes go for?! I bet they have!

Antony_de_H

eBay is a common one but some also end up on Gumtree, Trade-It or even in the local branch of Cash Converters. You can spot your bike easily if it ends up on eBay by lsetting up a "saved search" for it. For the rest of the web, Google Alerts might be useful, although it can be a bit erratic. If you're checking the local bike shops and pawn shops, make up a flyer with a picture of the bike and your telephone number, so the staff can keep it near the counter and get in touch if someone brings it in.

I've written a post with more detailed advice on getting a bike back here:

http://www.stolenbristolbikes.com/2009/ ... -bike.html

smashingpiemonster

Hello PC Frank

Thought I'd add today someone ronny biggsed my Specialized Rockhopper Disc 19 inch frame. Securely locked front and back in an overlooked private courtyard in Clifton.

The serial number is WUDB70751194

Find those Felans!!

PC Frank

smashingpiemonster wrote:

Hello PC Frank

Thought I'd add today someone ronny biggsed my Specialized Rockhopper Disc 19 inch frame. Securely locked front and back in an overlooked private courtyard in Clifton.

The serial number is WUDB70751194

Find those Felans!!

I shall keep an eye out with the bike that are in our detained property store.

PC Frank

supersonic

Only just seen this - many thanks for posting Frank.

fooboy86

I wish the police in Reading would be more pro-active about bike thefts! The only reason i have to get a new bike every 2 years, if not less, is because they get stolen... its ridiculous! and before anyone questions it, yes, they were all locked up using D-locks and heavy duty lock and chains.
Such a pity considering that when i was a kid i could leave my bike out in the front garden and it wouldnt be touched.... and that was in south africa!

SantasLoneCruzer

Hello PC Frank,

I have just moved away from Westbury-on-"southmead" (people that know this area will understand!!) purely because of all the beak-ins/problems I had in the 3 years I was there - 2 bikes stolen from inside my house (x1 Red Santa Cruz Superlight and x1 White Santa Cruz Superlight). The red one was my original bike, that got nicked and the white one replaced it, that got nicked and now a Trek has replaced it!! The sad thing is I think the same people nicked both bikes (approx 12 months apart), as my house was targeted as somewhere "worth" breaking into....

Everything was pictured, tagged, post coded, etc, but do I expect to ever see my pride and joys again...NO. I've done all the usual eBay, Gumtree, Bumblebee searches but nothing. My thoughts are that my bikes are still in Southmead and will only ever turn up if the police inadvertantly search the house that it's in.

All i'll say is, when buying a 2nd hand bike (perhaps you'll be offered mine?!), look at the person selling it and think to yourself, would they really have ridden a bike like that??

Sorry to rant, but those that have had their pride and joys stolen know how it feels.

Keep safe,

colintrav

PC Frank wrote:

Hello everyone,
I am a new user on this forum and wanted to introduce myself to you all.

My name is Frank and I am a police officer working with the Community Safety Team at Newfoundland Road Police Station.

One of my roles is to reduce bike theft in Bristol city over the next two years in tandem (haha) with the timetable for cycling city.

I wanted to join this forum so that users would have an opportunity to contact me directly and discuss the issue of bike theft.

You may have found me skulking around some other bike forums.

Now for the contriversal part.......are you ready........(deep breath).......I am not a cyclist.

However, I do know something about crime reduction and I am concerned about the level of theft in the city and want to help prevent people becoming victim's of crime.

I hope that my presence on this forum will be of benefit to you. I won't always be able to provide the result you desire, and I won't always be able to tell you everything the police is doing (some of it is a bit secret squirrel). But I wil do my best to assist and advise you.

Cheers,

Frank

PC 1422 Frank Simonds
Crime Prevention Design Advisor
Bristol Community Safety Team
Newfoundland Road Police Station

.I've only got one thing to say

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Bri ... ticle.html