Syston Police News

Beat Surgery – Saturday 22nd October 2022, 11.00am to 12noon, Syston Library, Upper Church Street, Syston.
Crime Prevention advice:
There has been an increase of theft of cycles within Charnwood with one recently from Syston. 
Follow these 10 tips to ensure your bike remains safe.
1. Double lock it
Using two locks slows thieves down and makes your bike less of a target. Use two quality locks, at least one of which is a D-lock. Thieves are less likely to carry multiple tools, so use two different types of lock if possible.
2. Lock the lot
Lock the frame and both wheels to a secure cycle stand.
3. Secure it
Secure your bike as close to the stand as possible to give any thieves little or no room to manoeuvre.
4. Take removable parts with you
Take parts that are easy to remove with you, such as wheels, lights, baskets or the saddle. Or use locking skewers or nuts which can increase security by securing the bike’s components to the frame permanently.
5. Park securely
Lock your bike at recognised secure cycle parking. It should be well lit and covered by CCTV.
6. Register it
Register your frame number for free on a cycle database such as BikeRegister or immobilise.com. Alternative companies can be found on the Secured by Design website. The frame number is usually found underneath the bike between the pedals or where the back wheel slots in. If your bike is ever stolen and recovered by the police, it can be traced back to you.
7. Mark it
Get your bike security marked. It’s a highly effective, visible deterrent to bike thieves. They know that if they are caught with a registered bike, the owner can be traced and they will be arrested. Bikeregister provide a list of police bike marking events. You can also mark your bike with SmartWater.
8. Remember safety begins at home
Take the same care to lock your bike securely at home as you would on the street. Avoid advertising that you have a bike at home, for example, by removing car roof racks, and creating ‘privacy zones’ on apps like Strava to avoid disclosing your location. 
9. Check ownership
Ask for proof of ownership and check the bike frame number on a cycle database such as Bike Checker at BikeRegister. Alternative companies can be found on the Secured by Design website. 
10. Act fast 
If your bike has been stolen, contact us as soon as possible by calling 101 or reporting online. Give us your frame number, cycle database number, a photo and any other details and make sure you update the status on the cycle database where you registered it. The sooner we know, the sooner we can act, which might stop it being sold on.
Many thanks
Jo FREEMAN | PC 196
Charnwood DNO – NL61 Charnwood East
Leicestershire Police