Police are releasing footage of bike thieves in action, as bike thefts continue in central Auckland (Footage up now on Auckland City District Police Facebook page)
The CCTV footage is being released as Police continue to encourage cyclists to invest in a D-lock type of lock, that can’t be snipped in seconds with bolt cutters.
In recent weeks, Police have experienced a surge in bikes being stolen from public places in central Auckland.
The footage was filmed in the past few weeks on Broadway in Newmarket, which is a busy road with high volumes of both foot and vehicle traffic. As seen in the footage, it takes just seconds for anything that isn’t a solid D-lock device to be snipped with bolt cutters.
“Lots of the bikes that get stolen are worth hundreds to thousands of dollars, but when it comes to the lock, we often find owners are using a $20 lock that is easy to snip” says Acting Inspector Graeme Anderson, Auckland City Police.
“We’re doing our very best to catch these offenders and to prevent this from happening in the first place, but it’s a constant battle and we need bike owners to help us by making it hard for the criminals” he says.
In the first clip, a father and his two sons can be seen running up to the bike parked outside a swimming pool in Newmarket. The father snips the lock and the young boys ride off on the bike. Later that day both the boys and their father were caught by Police attempting to steal another bike outside AUT in central Auckland.
The father was charged with theft and is currently in custody. Police made referrals to other government agencies in relation to the welfare of the children.
The offender seen in the second clip is yet to be identified and remains outstanding. The stolen bike has not been recovered but was stolen in less than ten seconds, with the snip of a bolt cutter.
The third clip in the footage shows a man attempting to cut a lock with bolt cutters, in full view of members of the public. He was approached by a security guard and fled the scene. He is yet to be identified.
The two offenders seen in clip four were both arrested and charged with theft. Officers arrived at the scene just as the pair (both aged 16 years old) were trying to flee on the bikes. One of the pair gave himself up immediately, the other ran from the scene and was arrested at the nearby Newmarket Train Station. Both bikes were recovered.
“What this shows is that sadly there are more than a few people out there who will take any opportunity to steal whatever isn’t bolted down. It also demonstrates that even if you feel you’re parking your bike in an area where lots of people are around, brazen thieves will not be deterred. Buying a solid lock that is not going to be snipped in seconds is the best way you can prevent your bike from being stolen” says Acting Inspector Anderson.
Sadly, putting your bike in gated areas within apartment buildings, learning institutions and hospitals won’t keep it away from thieves, and Police encourage people to also use robust D-locks in these areas.
“The other challenge for us is that we’re catching up with these people and recovering the stolen bikes, but often we have no idea who the bike even belongs to. In many cases people aren’t reporting that their bike has been stolen, as a result we have dozens of unclaimed bikes that we can’t return to the rightful owners. If you record your serial number, or buy a UV marker pen and write your cellphone number on the bike, it means we can prove it’s stolen, and get it back to you” he says.
ENDS
Media: Acting Inspector Anderson is available for interview until 3pm. Please call Beth to arrange a time.
Beth Bates/NZ Police