At the last full council I asked how many bicycles had been reported stolen in the last 2 years. This issue is very dear to me as I have had 3 bikes stolen from various locations in Reading since I first moved here. I also continually hear about friends and constituents who have their bikes stolen. One friend had his bike locked to a Sheffield-post near the stadium. He returned a day later to find that not only had the bike gone, but so had the post!
From 2007/08 to 2008/09 there was a minimal increase of 5 reports, but from 2008/09 to 2009/10 it looks like there could be an increase of between 50 and 100 reports (estimated figures for Jan, Feb and March based on the previous years trends). On average, around 70 bikes are reported as stolen each month across Reading. In 2007 Reading Post reported that 1 bike a day was stolen from the station, this new data suggests about 3 bikes are stolen per day throughout Reading.
The monthly breakdown is shown below:
Clearly, there are surges in the numbers reported during University term time, and these report numbers drop off during the major University holidays (but on average remain above 50 reports a month).
In the answer to my question, the Labour lead councillor says that neither Reading's Crime & Disorder Partnership or any of the NAG's have set bicycle theft as a priority. But despite this RBC works with its partners to offer "generic crime reduction advice", and they talk about the 'motherhood and apple pie' detailed in the cycle strategy.
There is clearly no appetite to tackle this issue because it is a difficult one to fix. Stop and postcode checks of suspected stolen bikes by the police/PCSO's might be a start. Better quality, well lit bike racks is another.
I'm concerned that people are not reporting stolen bikes because they feel, quite rightly, that nothing serious is being don't to tackle these issues. This is only reported thefts, after all. Also I know of no-one who has ever had their bike returned to them by the police, despite having a postcode etched or UV-inked onto the frame.
If you have had your bike stolen, I would urge you to report it - otherwise this issue will always be not be seen as a serious issue or a priority.
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