Crackdown on bike thefts in Aberdeen's West End

Bike owners are being urged to keep their bikes secure in the West End of Aberdeen after a number of thefts.

From Monday 1 to Wednesday 3 May 2017 officers from the West End Community Policing Team were involved in an operation targeting bike thieves.

Over the course of the operation three males aged 16, 18 and 19 were charged with a number of thefts and possessing stolen bikes.

Constable Jake Balderson of the West End Community Policing Team said: "We receive a large number of reports of stolen bikes every month with some bikes costing up to several thousand pounds. A number of bikes are stolen because they are left insecure and so the point of our patrols and activity this week has been to highlight the importance of bike security and to encourage more bike owners to take responsibility for their property."

As part of the operation, Constables Jake Baldserson and Eddie Carroll visited a number of local bikes shops to highlight the importance of bike safety to staff and customers and also conducted covert and high visibility patrols to identify insecure bikes and to provide suitable advice to owners.

Constable Balderson added: "Bike security, as with any property, is really simple. There is a vast range of bike locks and security products available from specialist bike shops and other retailers. We would always advise bike owners to lock and tether their bikes to fixed items whenever they leave their bikes unattended.

"Bikes are often also taken from communal hallways and so bike security is just as important when stored inside buildings.

"Photographing your bike and recording all of your bike’s details and distinguishing features including the serial number can be extremely useful in the event that a bike is stolen.

"I would also encourage bike owners to register their bicycle on the National Cycle Database, www.bikeregister.com. Doing this may help to recover your bike if it goes missing.

"Security mark your bike’s frame with a UV pen or other method with your details is also worth doing.

"From our patrols we found some bikes secured well but many not secured at all. If you physically had hundreds or thousands of pounds in your hand, would you leave it on the pavement and walk away and leave it? The same analogy applies to bikes and other property. Always lock away or securely lock your bike to avoid it being stolen.

"I would also like to thank the public for their participation in calling the Police when they see something that doesn't look quite right. This has led to excellent results over the past months."