Sir – So, about 800 bicycles have been stolen in the city in three years. At a very conservative estimate that’s about £150,000 worth of goods. The result? 19 convictions and slaps on the wrist for other offenders.
The solutions offered? Keep bringing your bikes in, padlock them and leave in view of CCTV. Oh, and Smartwater them. Given the facts and figures just released this would seem to be a recipe for a thieves’ paradise.
Quite obviously padlocks aren’t working and the CCTV is not a deterrent. Smartwater? Useful if – a big if – your bicycle is ever recovered and is in more than one piece. I suggest that instead of relying on CCTV and Smartwater a more visible police presence on our streets to help prevent crime in the first place is a better solution. Merely reacting to crime and then earnestly hoping the CCTV or Smartwater might help is flying close to cloud cuckoo land.
John Mahoney
Worcester
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