How about taking on the bike thieves of Brick Lane market!

[stonecastle]

How about taking on the bike thieves of Brick Lane market in East London the UKs premier distribution point of stolen bikes.

I would suggest that a load of people concerned about bike theft should go down there on a Sunday when the market is on and photograph all the young guys fly pitching stolen bikes. If they complain about being photographed tell them that if the bikes they are selling are legitimate then they have nothing to fear.

If this was done regularly then it would soon put off sellers of stolen bikes from attending this market and stop a major outlet for stolen bikes and thus reduce bike theft throughout London.

 

[gaz]

Unfortuatly your plan isn't going to work. They will just will just find somewhere else to sell it.

 

[skrx]

But "everyone knows" Brick Lane is where you go to buy a bike, which helps trade (just like everyone knows to go to Oxford Street, or Paris, etc)

If the thieves were spread out it would be more difficult to buy, so they'd get a lower price for the bikes.

 

[e-rider]

If they get a lower price for the bikes they might need to sell more bikes to make the same amount of money and therefore increase theft.
I would say that the police should go down there undercover and arrest the lot of them and arrest the people who buy the stolen bikes too. Give them all 5 years and see if that puts people off taking bikes in the future. The problem with bikes theft is that the law pretty much lets you get away with it so it's no surprise that it's such a hugh problem - time to get tough, especially as government policy is to encourage cycling.

 

[ianrauk]

Remember also these guys are usually part of criminal gangs. If one were to go round photographing these guys one could get seriously hurt.

 

[Wester]

If you buy a bike in Brick Lane what are the chances that it is a stolen bike 2/10 , 3/10 , 4/10 , 5/10 ?

 

[CopperBrompton]

If you do it without asking any questions, and at a very cheap price, very close to 10/10.

 

[dellzeqq]

If you do it without asking any questions, and at a very cheap price, very close to 10/10.

I think that's a considerable underestimate!

Tower Hamlets police force do make arrests at Brick Lane.

 

[dellzeqq]

If they get a lower price for the bikes they might need to sell more bikes to make the same amount of money and therefore increase theft.
I would say that the police should go down there undercover and arrest the lot of them and arrest the people who buy the stolen bikes too. Give them all 5 years and see if that puts people off taking bikes in the future. The problem with bikes theft is that the law pretty much lets you get away with it so it's no surprise that it's such a hugh problem - time to get tough, especially as government policy is to encourage cycling.

I'm one of very many who feels his liberal mask slipping when it comes to bike theft, but I think locking people up for five years for what might be a first offence, and without the benefit of proof might be a tad on the harsh side.......

 

[ACS]

I'm one of very many who feels his liberal mask slipping when it comes to bike theft, but I think locking people up for five years for what might be a first offence, and without the benefit of proof might be a tad on the harsh side.......

If not Section 1 (1) Theft Act 1968 why not Section 22 (Handling stolen goods).

 

[bauldbairn]

If not Section 1 (1) Theft Act 1968 why not Section 22 (Handling stolen goods).

I'm not from London - but it seems like you have a massive problem with what appears to be a very lucrative market in Bike theft.

Surely the police should stop what is effectively illegal street trading in "Brick Lane". Regularilly rounding them all up(the sellers) and checking out there backgrounds for previous offences would be some kind of deterant.

There has to be suitable sentences for criminals - or this will only get worse, unfortunately.

 

[139NI]

If you found the person who owned the bike then you would fulfill handling stolen goods criteria. The odds are so stacked against conviction for theft - you practically have to be there on top of the slag witnessing the taking of it for a theft conviction.

 

[Vikeonabike]

If you found the person who owned the bike then you would fulfill handling stolen goods criteria. The odds are so stacked against conviction for theft - you practically have to be there on top of the slag witnessing the taking of it for a theft conviction.

Good point, however, the intel alone, knowing who is handling stolen bikes is invaluble and can get results in the end!

 

[ttcycle]

I've dealt previously with the DI that works the patch that would cover brick lane as my bike was stolen in that borough- she is not sympathetic to bike theft and told me once 'it's not a murder' and 'we don't just sit here drinking cups of tea y'know' before slamming the phone down on me. Without police support or will, it wont get off the ground and someone on here wrote along similar lines about the same DI giving him grief and trying to accuse him of having stolen the bike when he went to retrieve it - thankfully he could prove it was his but being treated with such suspicion was not ok...I agree there is a ridiculously luducrious market in London and it also indicates that people continue to buy the bikes maybe because a lot of people are priced out of buying a decent bike and with the increasing costs of transport round here...put two and two together and it just keeps exacerbating the problem.