Photo: geton.co.uk
Being a motorcycle owner in the London area does not look too pretty after the Metropolitan Police in UK's capital revealed some of the figures for 2014. Motorcycle thefts went up a mind-blowing 44 percent in 2014 compared to what the records for 2012 showed, and this does not bode well.
In numbers, around 2,900 additional motorcycles were stolen in 2014 compared to 2012, and it appears that the phenomenon is on the rise. According to sources in the UK, this growth cannot be attributed to the increase of two-wheelers present on the road. The number of motorcycles has only registered minor fluctuations since the economic crisis in 2008, so the increase in bike thefts is an authentic one.
The Metropolitan Police also says that the number of cars being stolen in the area has decreased, and this triggers the "need" that criminals steal other vehicles. The drop in stolen cars could be attributed to the increasingly sophisticated theft-deterrent technologies that are built into cars nowadays.
Namely, stealing a car became much harder, and this could be one of the reasons thieves turn more onto stealing motorcycles. Obviously, taking off with a stolen bike or hiding it is much easier than concealing a car. A bike can be loaded into a van even if locked and impossible to start, whereas a car would have to be driven or towed, if you fancy action movies more.
Media in the UK also links the theft of motorcycles and committing other crimes, as visordown reports. This means that criminals are stealing motorbikes for the sole purpose of using them as getaway vehicles and not necessarily for dismantling them and selling the parts.
Unfortunately, the London Metropolitan Police does not offer a comparison with previous years regarding crimes committed by suspects riding scooters or motorcycles. So far, they only revealed that 1,240 such crimes were recorded between January 2014 and February 2015. More data is expected from the law enforcement organizations.
As for what motorcycle owners can do to prevent theft, it looks like keeping these bikes in their garages behind locked doors might be the safest bet, albeit not accessible to everyone. Strong chains and padlocks, better alarm systems and GPS tracking beacons are also worth considering. Also, there's Datatag and other anti-theft solutions.
We haven't done the math, but we could not help remembering that "one scooter is stolen every 8 minutes in France."
The Metropolitan Police also says that the number of cars being stolen in the area has decreased, and this triggers the "need" that criminals steal other vehicles. The drop in stolen cars could be attributed to the increasingly sophisticated theft-deterrent technologies that are built into cars nowadays.
Namely, stealing a car became much harder, and this could be one of the reasons thieves turn more onto stealing motorcycles. Obviously, taking off with a stolen bike or hiding it is much easier than concealing a car. A bike can be loaded into a van even if locked and impossible to start, whereas a car would have to be driven or towed, if you fancy action movies more.
Media in the UK also links the theft of motorcycles and committing other crimes, as visordown reports. This means that criminals are stealing motorbikes for the sole purpose of using them as getaway vehicles and not necessarily for dismantling them and selling the parts.
Unfortunately, the London Metropolitan Police does not offer a comparison with previous years regarding crimes committed by suspects riding scooters or motorcycles. So far, they only revealed that 1,240 such crimes were recorded between January 2014 and February 2015. More data is expected from the law enforcement organizations.
As for what motorcycle owners can do to prevent theft, it looks like keeping these bikes in their garages behind locked doors might be the safest bet, albeit not accessible to everyone. Strong chains and padlocks, better alarm systems and GPS tracking beacons are also worth considering. Also, there's Datatag and other anti-theft solutions.
We haven't done the math, but we could not help remembering that "one scooter is stolen every 8 minutes in France."
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