Posted on 13th Oct
Scores of cyclists took advantage of a free bike-marking event in Newark as part of a joint effort to boost safety and crack down on crime.
The event, held at Newark Royal Market Place and delivered by Nottinghamshire Police, was attended by the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Paddy Tipping, and public protection officers from Newark and Sherwood District Council.
More than 70 bikes were marked and recorded on the Bike Mark database during the day, enabling police officers to easily identify them if they are stolen in the future.
The event, which also saw police officers delivering crime prevention advice to residents, was the first in a series planned for the town over the coming weeks to improve security and protect property.
The PCC, in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police, the district council and Nottinghamshire County Council, secured £550k from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund to improve safety in the central, Chatham Court, Lovers Lane and Northgate areas of Newark.
The agencies are working together to deliver a package of improvements to tackle burglary, bicycle theft and vehicle crime, including better street lighting, additional CCTV and environmental improvement work.
Insp Heather Sutton, district commander for Newark and Sherwood, said: “It’s been great to see the turnout today and the amount of bikes we’ve been able to mark which will now help keep them safe.
“Whilst we don’t want any crimes to take place in Newark, we’re keen to make the most of these methods which can act as a deterrent.
“This is the first of many crime prevention events we’re going to be staging as we continue to protect our residents to the best of our ability.”
The PCC added: “I’m really pleased with the response to this event which I hope will go some way to increasing confidence within the community and among cyclists.
“Being a victim of crime is a dreadful experience and we are determined to reduce that risk with positive and proactive prevention measures.
“Those who live or work in Newark will see a number of changes over the coming weeks which are designed to increase feelings of safety and make it harder for opportunists to strike. Not only will we have better technology in place to detect crime, we will be making it much harder for crime to happen in the first place.”
Coun David Lloyd, leader of the district council, said: “Working in partnership with the police offers opportunities to bring such activities to the residents of Newark. This simple yet effective measure can go a long way towards preventing cycle theft.
“This event along with other proactive measures we will introduce, as part of the Safer Streets Project, will increase the safety of our residents as well putting measures in place to deter opportunists. Our priority is to make sure residents, and visitors, of Newark feel safe and protected at all times.”
The scheme is used by police forces across the UK, with more than 970,000 bicycles currently registered. If a bicycle which is marked is subsequently stolen, a stolen marker can be added to the unique code and when checked, this will flag the property as stolen to help identify an offender and ensure the bike is returned to its rightful owner.
As part of the scheme, police officers have been visiting bicycle shops across Newark to encourage owners to check and mark new and used bikes as a further deterrent.
