West Midlands Police’s effort to reduce motorcycle theft in the area appears to be having an impact, with the number of riders locking their bikes in city centre hotspots more than doubling in the past few months.
The ‘lock it or lose it’ awareness campaign is being delivered in partnership with the Motorcycle Industry Association’s MASTER Security Scheme and is focused on educating riders of scooters and motorcycles.
A survey of parking bays in Birmingham’s Cathedral Quarter during early August, when the campaign was launched, showed only two out of five motorcycles were locked up. Police recently reviewed the same parking bays and reported that over 90% of machines are now protected by chains or other security devices. The results come as a result of police identifying vulnerable bikes and sticking a polite reminder letter on saddles and windscreens, to encourage riders to consider extra measures to deter and slow down thieves.
Commenting on the campaign, local Police Constable Paul Ennis said: “People can get a little defensive when they are approached by a cop, but I have been very impressed by the very supportive comments and gratitude shown to us all, as we deliver this very important message.
“It has been a really positive experience. When we set out on this campaign, we had one simple objective: to make riders aware of the risk of theft when parking a motorcycle and to use some additional security. When we started this, the majority of motorcycles in this area were inadequately protected. Today the majority are well protected!”
West Midlands Police will continue the campaign for the next few months in a bid to continue to increase awareness and inform local riders on the best way to prevent their bikes from being stolen.