Bike theft taken seriously it seems

[Crankarm]

No, your daily wail fuelled reaction to ASBOS misses the whole point Cranky.

We deliberately went for ASBOS which give us a power of arrest whenever we know or suspect they have breached the conditions, whereas before we had to prove evidence that they were committing an offence. The ASBO gives us a preemptive, proactive tool to get them into custody as soon as we see them in our area.

An ASBO is NOT a punishment, it's a court order making even the most minor of nuisance behaviours punishable by imprisonment.

Your bike thief above could walk onto the station area carrying a pair of pliers/croppers. He could be arrested for "going equipped for theft" but no court in the country would convict. Now he has an ASBO, there is an assumption that he can be arrested for carrying tools. Breaching an ASBO carries up to 5 years in prison.

Thanks for your clear explanation of the operation of an ASBO. It's granting is obviously what you had sought.

I understand what you are saying but I can't help but take the view that it will be of little deterrent as the police cannot be watching them the whole time. Given the financial rewards they will take the chance and just carry on albeit being more careful to avoid detection. If caught they will be in no worse a position than had they been properly 'busted' in the first place. I read an article a few weeks ago that fewer ASBOs are bing issued as few can be enforced as many are broken. Not having a go at you Cube, but the fact that the government is soft on criminals giving them every opportunity to commit crime before they eventually give them a jail sentece and a lenghty one at that.

 

[Crankarm]

Here you go oh cranky one, have a new avatar

Thanks WC. Mr H could be a worthy successor to Mr Goldfinger. Like him he's golden and of full figure .........

 

[bigtrike]

I think the purpose of the banning from trains is not to stop him from taking a stolen bike on the train but to ban him from railway stations as you need a ticket to be on the platform where I assume the bikes that he has been steeling are(were). So he can now be done for the asbo AND bylaw station rules if he is spotted again.

 

[bauldbairn]

Thanks WC. Mr H could be a worthy successor to Mr Goldfinger. Like him he's golden and of full figure .........

+1........go on!

 

[661-Pete]

I think the purpose of the banning from trains is not to stop him from taking a stolen bike on the train but to ban him from railway stations as you need a ticket to be on the platform where I assume the bikes that he has been steeling are(were). So he can now be done for the asbo AND bylaw station rules if he is spotted again.

But you don't need a ticket to get onto the concourse of a large station, e.g. one of the London termini - only to get on the platform. And the concourse or outside is where the bike racks will be. But the ASBO will enable an offender to be barred from these areas too.

Indeed most smaller stations don't have any sort of platform barrier, so you can wander freely onto the platform without any ticket. Indeed I often do, at our local station, when I am meeting someone or seeing someone off. But they do have CCTV...

 

[Sam Kennedy]

I agree with Crankarm, the punishments aren't severe enough, that is why people steal bikes, driver dangerously and shout abuse at cyclists, because nothing happens to them.

 

[andytheflyer]

Slightly OT, or maybe just premature (I hope), saw this just before Christmas. Let's hope he gets the book thrown at him too.....Well done to Cheshire Police.

 

[andytheflyer]

Sorry - hit submit instead of preview - I've added the link.....

Slightly OT, or maybe just premature (I hope), saw this just before Christmas. Let's hope he gets the book thrown at him too.....Well done to Cheshire Police.


http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/c...farm-in-hargrave-near-chester-59067-25359222/

 

[thegrumpybiker]

Agreed. A very large book. War and Peace. Printed on sheet lead.