Portsmouth as a city possesses a high number of bicycle enthusiasts. Whether you are using your bike to commute to work, racing or just getting from A to B. Sadly bicycle theft is a relatively easy crime to commit. With their increased usage over the summer months we need to do as much as we can to deter criminals and assist the Police in recovering the bike if the worst is to happen and your bike is stolen. There are some simple steps to follow…

* Get a good bike lock (preferably a D-Lock) and attach your bike to something secure, e.g. a bike rack or a lamppost.
* Always lock your bicycle, even if you are only leaving it for a couple of minutes.
* Have your bike’s frame security-marked or engraved.
* Keep your bike in a secure garage or shed. Keep the door locked and keep it out of public view.
* If you have quick-release wheels, lock them up as well or take them with you.
* Remove lights from the bike and take them with you.
* Register your bike with schemes such as Immobilise or Bike Register.

One of the biggest problems the Police encounter is the victim being unable to offer a full description of their bike. This makes it much more difficult to identify it as stolen, please take the time to make a note of your make, model and frame number. The frame number can be found in a number of places including the head tube, under bottom bracket, seat tube and down tube.

The Safer Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Portsmouth are really pro-active and offer a FREE security marking events. You can find out your nearest one by contacting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team, you can find their details by entering your postcode on the Hampshire Constabulary website www.hampshire.police.uk. Here are just a few of the events that you can take your bike along to be marked.

You are likely to have seen the brightly painted unclaimed bikes locked up around the city. These were put there by Portsmouth Police to encourage cyclist to lock their bikes up securely. The bikes were placed around the city, particularly where there are increased reports of bike thefts.

Northern Portsmouth

Southern Portsmouth
Milton Park, Mondays (13.00 hours – 15.00 hours)
25th May | 22nd June | 20th July | 17th August

St Mary’s Hospital, Thursdays (11.00 hours – 14.00 hours)
28th May | 25th June | 23rd July | 20th August

Canoe Lake, Sundays (11.00 hours – 14.00 hours)
7th June | 5th July | 2nd August

Eastney Community Centre, Thursdays (19.00 hours – 21.00 hours)
11th June | 6th August