More chance of winning a lottery prize than catching a bike thief

[Moovart]

https://open.substack.com/pub/londoncentric/p/more-chance-of-a-lottery-prize-than?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

 

Depressing article about bike theft with a useful point about faked receipts when buying high end bikes second hand.

[malumbu]

TfL and the Met had a small team a few years ago dedicated to addressing bike theft.  https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2011/february/officers-target-bike-thieves-and-successfully-reunite-stolen-bikes-with-their-owners

I assume that went with austerity.

There is now a Task Force

https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/metropolitan-police-service-cycle-taskforce

And some advice from the MPS: https://www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/keeping-vehicles-safe/how-safe-is-your-bike/

The marking service is good and helps.  As a cyclist you do your best to minimise the likelihood and I would never leave a high end bike locked on the street out of sight.  I've had three bikes stolen in London over the last two decades.

Gum Tree sadly makes it too easy and for every bike theft there is someone knowingly or unknowingly prepared to buy a bargain that is stolen.