Bristol police stage crackdown

[burlingo]

BIKE theft across the Avon and Somerset police area has fallen by almost eight per cent since this time last year.

Officers put this down to a number of tactics being used, including an increase in covert operations as well as dedicated teams to prevent bike theft and partnership working with businesses and local authorities.

Bike thieves operating in Bristol’s Cabot Circus recently had a nasty shock.

CCTV caught two incidents of thieves trying to steal from a bike stand area next to the shopping centre.

In the first video the thief literally yanks the bike off the stand but is stopped in his tracks by two covert police officers who have been watching him. He was arrested and charged to court.

The other video shows two bike thieves with tools to cut locks.

However, they were being watched by security staff who stopped them.

Both men were arrested by police and charged, with one receiving a referral order and the other was given a conditional discharge.

Recently, six people were also arrested in a covert operation to tackle cycle theft in Redcliffe.

A 19-year-old woman and five men. aged 17, 18, 18, 20 and 32, were arrested for conspiracy to steal and going equipped to steal.

As a result three bikes, believed to be stolen, were recovered from a property in Barton Hill.

A 32-year-old man has been charged for going equipped to steal.

Police have e-mailed businesses in the area for staff to be on their guard following recent thefts of bikes.

If you would like to report a theft call the new non-emergency number 101. If you see a bike being stolen call 999 immediately.

See the CCTV videos below:

[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5CfydN0dLqk[/media]


[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GTkS2gcBF0A[/media]

 

[ColinJ]

A referral order and ... a conditional discharge - that'll teach 'em not to nick bikes!

 

[summerdays]

But good that the levels of theft had fallen 8% when the number of bikes around has definitely risen.