Cycle shops are at constant risk of handling stolen goods, but a free service from BikeRegister, the UK’s National Cycle Database, could quickly help them verify that they are buying bikes from a genuine source.
More than half of all bike thefts take place from an owner’s property and bike thieves are becoming increasingly more organised. The ease with which a stolen bike can be sold continues to encourage the theft of bikes.
However, retailers and members of the public can now use the BikeChecker facility on the BikeRegister website to check the origin of second-hand bikes being offered to them for sale.
The use of the BikeChecker facility is also recommended in BikeRegister’s new Code of Practice for the Purchase and Sale of Second-hand bikes.
The BikeRegister Code of Practice has been developed in conjunction with the UK Metropolitan Police Service’s Cycle Task Force and other police partners who are looking at ways to expand the successful Project Cycle Ops initiative that was launched just over a year ago by Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor. This delivered a reduction of cycle crime in London of over 10% in its first year.
Chief Superintendent Taylor said “We want retailers and buyers of second hand bikes to be assured that they have taken part in a legitimate sale and that the bikes are not stolen.
“I urge all second hand cycle retailers to ensure that they check bikes with BikeRegister before purchase, to verify legitimacy of sales. Should they discover that the bikes are stolen they should report it immediately to police.
“To help ensure we disrupt the trade of stolen cycles I cannot recommend strongly enough that all bicycle owners security mark their bikes with BikeRegister.
BikeRegister is used by every UK Police force to help them reunite some of the thousands of lost or stolen bikes they recover every year to their legal owners. The system is also designed to prevent bike theft in the first instance as visible etching on each bike can deter thieves.
The new Code of Practice (CoP) aims to help control the trade in second-hand cycles and to make it more difficult for criminals to dispose of stolen property through the retail network.
The CoP has been prepared on behalf of the Police Service, enforcement partners and local businesses that deal in the purchase/sale of second-hand bikes offered for resale. It is intended for use as the basis of standard operating procedures for all businesses that purchase or sell second-hand bikes. Four UK police forces have already signed up to the new code, with many others showing increasing interest.
The CoP outlines minimum criteria necessary for the identification, purchase and sale of second-hand bikes and supplies information on what actions are necessary when a cycle is identified as not being in the possession of its rightful/lawful owner.
Announcing the publication of the new Code, BikeRegister Managing Director Andrew Knights, said “Our new CoP is intended to be a voluntary guide for companies who operate in this area.”
He continued, “If all bike shops insisted on an ownership check on BikeChecker before purchasing a second-hand bike and recording details of all second-hand bikes on BikeRegister, it would be a significant step forward in the fight against bike crime.
“It would also protect the retailer from handling stolen goods and generate goodwill towards the retailer from the cycling community.”
Constantly looking for new ideas to fight bike crime, BikeRegister is also developing a new Traffic Light System to allow the provenance of second-hand bikes being offered for sale to be checked on web-based auction sites.
