Bike theft can cause considerable disruption to your daily life, especially if you’re one of the growing number of people who cycles to and from work, school, or university. With more people using bikes, working out how to prevent bike theft is important.
According to the Office of National Statistics, a person commits bike theft if they take a pedal cycle for their own or another’s use without the consent of the owner or other lawful authority, or ride a pedal cycle knowing it to have been taken without such authority.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) has collected data about bike theft since it was introduced in 1981. It’s a relatively small offence, accounting for approximately 5% of all crime covered by the survey, and the number of reported bike thefts has declined since 2012.
However, that doesn’t mean you can forget about security. Many thieves are opportunists, and are more likely to take a bike if it’s easy to do so without getting caught. The cost of bikes has increased, too, giving people more incentive to try and sell them on. The more secure your bike, the less likely it is to be stolen.
