A crackdown on bike thefts on the guided busway has been launched after 150 were swiped from stops along the route – meanwhile, a park and ride bike thief has been jailed. Officers from the South Cambridgeshire force were at busway stations all this week dishing out crime prevention advice and strong bike locks after more than 140 cycles were stolen from the transport system in a year. Residents were invited to attend a cycle security event being run by the Histon Neighbourhood Team.
The event ran from Monday (September 19) through to Friday (September 23) at various guided busway sites. Officers attended offering bike coding and registration through property register website Immobilise, as well as offering security advice and discounted ‘Secure by design’ D-locks. Police were at Longstanton, Orchard Park, Cambridge Science Park, Histon and Swavesey
Area Commander James Sutherland said: Our crime pattern analysis showed that the busway was ‘hot’ for bike theft, with 150 thefts last year.
As a result we have launched a five-day crime prevention campaign, focusing on a different cycle stop in South Cambs every day.
Officers are security marking bikes, registering them on immobilise and offering security advice to commuters.
Cycle crime can be prevented by using a really good lock or using two locks of different types.
Most thieves only come equipped to target one type of lock.”
And in the week of the operation, a bike thief who stole cycles from a Cambridge park and ride has been jailed. Antony Kelly, of Dolls Close, Balsham, 24, was charged with theft of pedal cycle from Babraham park and ride on July 27, and had three other thefts from the same place taken into consideration. Kelly was initially given a 12-week suspended sentence at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on August 23.
Two days later he stole another bike from the same place and on Tuesday (September 20) was jailed for 16 weeks.
Pc Martyn Willis, lead officer for the case, said: What was even better than this the court result is that all of the victim’s property has been recovered ensuring they will be returned to their rightful owners.
This comes on the same week that Sgt Mark Rabel and Ms Rachel Carr have organised daily cycle crime prevention events at every bus stop on the guided busway in South Cambridgeshire.”
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