Half a Million Bike Registrations Derby Scheme Reveals 35% Theft Reduction Lock It, Mark It Campaign Creative PAGE 02 PAGE 05 PAGE 07 Partnerships PAGE 08 500,000 and counting www.bikeregister.com Newsletter ISSUE 11 BikeRegister Reaches Half 5 A Million Bike Registrations Over 500,000 bikes are now registered on BikeRegister, the national police-approved cycle database. BikeRegister security marking continues to be used by every police force in the UK as a key cycle crime reduction initiative. Since its launch, BikeRegister has not only reduced instances of cycle theft but it has also enabled hundreds of cyclists to be reunited with their bikes after they have been stolen., bikes registered 0 Registering and marking a bike helps police and cycle retailers identify and verify the legitimate owner of bikes that have been stolen or are being resold. This, in turn, can dramatically reduce the market for stolen bikes. and The Metropolitan Police Service. Top industry partners include British Cycling, Cyclescheme and Cycleplan for whose members and customers we have special offers and discounts available (see back page). BikeRegister is recognised as the UK s leading bike registration site and we are thrilled to announce that bike registrations to our database have shot up by 45% over the past year. Our website is fully responsive, allowing customers to access their account 24/7 and check the origin of secondhand bikes on our free BikeChecker facility. Over 800 searches are made on BikeRegister each day making BikeRegister an essential tool in the fight against cycle crime. We are proud to have built up strong police and industry partnerships over the years and continue to work closely with all UK Police Forces including British Transport Police More on pages 2-3 1
LATEST NEWS Half A Million Bike Registrations The rise in popularity of online sales sites has meant that BikeRegister has become a valuable resource, allowing second-hand bike shops to check the details of any bike they are considering purchasing to see if there is a record of it being stolen. This can be done by checking the BikeChecker facility on the website and inserting the frame number or BikeRegister ID code. James Brown, Managing Director of BikeRegister said: Police recover literally thousands of bikes every year which they cannot identify or trace back to an owner. Bikes need to have a unique ID number which the BikeRegister system offers. It has been proved that marked bikes are not as attractive to thieves as unmarked ones. Thieves know they will have more trouble selling on a marked bike and that if caught in possession of it, police can check who it really belongs to, and arrest them. Our 500,000th Registration Avid cyclist Jonathan Stather from North Yorkshire was the 500,000th person to have his bike registered to BikeRegister. Jonathan said: My bike is quite expensive - the frame is a custom Stanton, the design model is Sherpa Ti. The rest is self assembly with a lot of parts from component supplier Hope. By registering and marking my bike I was aiming to try and provide as many identification features as possible if it was to be stolen, hence I chose the UV Covert Kit containing a colourless UV etch, TESA label and uniquely coded microdots. I registered my bike to BikeRegister mainly as a theft deterrent, but also if it is ever stolen it is a means of showing proof of ownership. 2 (continued from page 1) Bike ownership should be recorded on the register as some bikes do not have a frame number at all and on the more popular makes/models the same frame number is often used multiple times and therefore does not give the bike a unique identification number. James Brown added: We are delighted to achieve the milestone of 500,000 bike registrations and thank our police and retail partners for helping us make this possible. BikeRegister is now focused on making bicycle marking and registration compulsory, in order to stamp out the cycle theft pandemic spreading through the UK. Now Available Online At Halfords We are delighted to announce that our Membership Plus Kit is now available on the Halfords website. (www.halfords.com). The kit includes 2 highly durable tamper resistant QR barcode labels for your frame to deter thieves and lifetime registration to BikeRegister, with the issue of an electronic logbook as proof of ownership.
Journalist Reunited With Stolen Racing Bike A Bianchi racing bike has been returned to its owner after it was stolen from a secure car park at Canary Wharf in London. Journalist Sam Gad Jones was surprised to get his bike back as the theft had taken place at Christmas time when he was away with family. He was told by MPS Tower Hamlets who investigated the theft, that it had been a particularly slick operation. Sam said: I registered my bike to BikeRegister a couple of years ago, but didnt expect to get it back, as the police said that although there was CCTV footage, the thieves - young guys - had covered their faces and the whole theft only took about 90 seconds. They stole 2 motorbikes as well. I flagged the bike as stolen on BikeRegister as soon as I found out it was missing. Out of the blue, I got a call from the police on Monday, 11th April informing me my bike had been found, after a property was raided. They had checked it against the register and found my details. Thanks to MPS Tower Hamlets, I was able to collect my bike two days later. It pays to use BikeRegister! BikeRegister On TV BikeRegister has been featured in an episode of BBC1 s Thief Trackers which highlights what becomes of everyday possessions when they are stolen, and how police and members of the public can use cutting-edge technology to get them back. The programme recommended that bike owners register their bikes on BikeRegister in order to get a unique reference number that can be traced by the police. Checkable Ownership Transfer of Ownership Some bikes are now appearing for sale on Gumtree with the seller mentioning the fact that the bike has been registered on BikeRegister within the sale details. This comes as added reassurance for the purchaser, as it means the bike has a checkable ownership history. A cyclist who was queuing up to get her bike marked in London was shocked to be informed by Met Police that her bike was actually marked and registered to someone else on BikeRegister, and that technically she was not the registered owner! The situation was quickly resolved, with police establishing that the original owner had not passed the registration onto the new owner upon sale. Registration is easily transferable on BikeRegister and our support team (support@bikeregister. com) can assist with any matters relating to transfer of ownership. 3
LATEST NEWS Join Us At The 2016 Cycle Crime Conference Following last year s successful inaugural event, we are delighted to announce that the 2016 Cycle Crime Conference will take place on Wednesday 6th July 2016 at Tally Ho Conference Centre, Birmingham in partnership with the British Transport Police. 4 This one-day cycle security conference will be another chance for key delegates from the police, local authorities and industry partners to engage on the topic of bike theft prevention. Best practice will be shared and we will examine successful operations and initiatives that have reduced cycle crime. Confirmed guest speakers include Superintendent Jenny Gilmer from BTP, Timothy Huxley from Bournemouth University and Emma Crowton from Centro. BikeRegister MD James Brown said: We were delighted with the success of our cycle crime conference last year and are hugely grateful to all those police forces who attended. We have another exciting agenda lined up for this year and some excellent guest speakers. The number of bikes registered on BikeRegister has grown by 44% since the 2015 Conference and we are delighted to announce that we now have over half a million bikes registered on our database. We had over 110 delegates last year and the event was attended by over 30 police forces the intelligence and best practice shared meant that it was an extremely beneficial conference for all those who attended. Please contact our Marketing Manager Millie Quickenden via email millie.quickenden@selectamark.co.uk if you would like to attend.
New Derby Scheme Reveals 35% Theft Reduction A scheme aimed at reducing cycle theft in Derby is showing early signs of success after it began at the start of the year. In the first four months since its launch in January 2016, the number of incidents of cycle theft across the Derby city area reduced from 283 to 183. This is a 35% reduction compared with the same period in 2015 and has meant there have been 100 less victims of cycle theft. Cycle Secure Derby is a partnership between Derbyshire police, Derby City Council and other local parties to give a co-ordinated approach to reducing cycle thefts in the city. Sergeant Mark Preston from the Allestree and Darley Safer Neighbourhood Team, who is part of the team co-ordinating the work, said: We offer free bike security marking with BikeRegister.com to those who live or cycle in the Derby area and offer security advice both online and at local events held regularly across the city. Haul Of Stolen Bikes Recovered In Tower Hamlets A total of 23 bikes have been recovered and returned to their owners in Tower Hamlets thanks to some great detective work from two Met PCSOs and an eagle-eyed ASB Officer at a local estate. The first set of bikes was discovered by PCSO Lynn Peck and her colleague PCSO Karen Bell from the Met s Roads and Transport Policing Command. Both officers regularly check unclaimed bikes placed in the police store at Bethnal Green station for BikeRegister markings and they recently recovered 4 bikes and reunited them with their owners. They have recovered another 4 bikes over the past year in the same way. The second set of recoveries involved 15 stolen bikes from Urban Adventure Base, an outdoor education facility in east London. The bikes had been stolen early one morning and placed in a secure lock up on the nearby Colebrook House estate. Daniel Murray, Outdoor Education Manager at Urban Adventure, said: It was great to have such a speedy recovery. It s a great example of the community working together in a positive way. The suspected bike thieves were later identified via CCTV footage and police were able to raid a property on the estate uncovering more stolen goods and drugs. This resulted in an arrest. ASB Officer Andrew Phillips noticed on a routine inspection that glass on a CCTV camera had been broken and an unusual looking padlock had been placed on a lock-up. Andrew contacted local police who unlocked the unit and found the 15 stolen bikes with BikeRegister stickers on them that were immediately traceable back to Urban Adventure. Sergeant Sue Smith, PCSO Lynn Peck and PCSO Karen Bell Met Police 5
LATEST NEWS How To Run Successful Bike Marking Events It sounds obvious, but one one of the key factors to a successful bike marking event is getting people to actually attend! City of London Police are using this great cargo bike complete with special BikeRegister livery to promote their regular bike marking sessions in The Square Mile. We know many of you publicise your events on social media and we try and retweet as many of these as we can. It is always worth including #bikeregister or @bikeregister in your tweet to draw our attention to them. Many of you also produce your own posters, which can be an effective way of advertising your event within the local community, displaying them at bike cafes, shops or at railway stations. Acting Sergeant Stuart Ford and PCSO Ben Ellen - City Of London Police Meanwhile, Lancashire Police are using these eye-catching cycles to draw attention to their events. But did you know we also have a great range of BikeRegister branded accessories including pop-up banners, flyers and tablecloths that you can order to give that added visual impact at your bike marking events? 6
Campaign creative THIEVES BEWARE BICYCLES IN THIS AREA ARE PERMANENTLY MARKED AND REGISTERED The UK's Police Approved, Cycle Marking & Registration Scheme www.bikeregister.com DA 0225/1 REGISTER and PROTECT your bike for FREE at www.bikeregister.com Permanently mark your bike, making it instantly less attractive to thieves. Over 500,000 bikes registered on the BikeRegister database Upload photos, receive stolen bike alerts and view online crime heat maps Helps recover your bike in the event of theft Purchase second-hand bikes with confidence Independently tested and police approved A Cycle Security Loop Team has created a communication toolkit for bike security events across The Capital www.bikeregister.com DA0281/1 The team consists of representatives from TFL, BTP, Met, City of London Police & BikeRegister. The team has 2 primary objectives; The following products can be ordered via email: support@bikeregister.com BikeRegister LARGE EVENT CLOTH Product Code 10295, 125.00 each + VAT BikeRegister A5 SELF ADHESIVE WARNING LABELS Size: A5. Product Code 10187, 2.50 each + VAT BikeRegister POP-UP BANNER Product Code 10290, 75.00 each + VAT BikeRegister A5 FLYERS Product Code 10280, 30 + VAT per 1,000 BikeRegister FOAMEX OUTDOOR REFLECTIVE SIGNS Size: 400 x 300mm. Product Code 10177, 17.50 each + VAT BikeRegister GAZEBO Size: 3x3m. Includes sidewalls and water barrel weights. Product Code 10189, 475 each + VAT BikeRegister FEATHER FLAG (Design not final) Size: 3140mm x 745mm. Double sided with water base Product Code: 10192, 120 each + VAT (All prices exclude delivery) Customisable branded items are also available (these may incur additional costs) 1) To standardise communications which the police use to communicate bike security and marking events e.g. leaflets, posters etc. 2) To create a web page which serves as a hub for all bike marking events. Police will be able to log in and upload bike marking events within their force and members of the public can search (by postcode) for events. Reduce the risk of your bike being stolen: The new campaign creative delivers a total security message locking a bike as well as security marking it with BikeRegister. A full suite of assets will soon be available for all police forces to use and customise with logos, as well as all police forces having the ability to upload their marking to upload their marking events to the webpage www.bikeregister.com/events. Lock the frame and both wheels to a stand using two good quality locks. Get your bike registered and visibly security marked with BikeRegister. Check for FREE bike marking events at www.bikeregister.com/events If your bike is stolen, report it to 101 and register it as stolen on BikeRegister. Check for FREE bike marking events at www.bikeregister.com/events By: Date: Time: Location: Deters cycle thieves, reunites stolen bikes with their owners. Working in partnership with UK police forces. www.bikeregister.com/events For more information contact millie.quickenden@selectamark.co.uk 7
PARTNERSHIPS Putting A Spin On Cycling Partnerships British Cycling Cyclescheme Members of British Cycling, one of our supporter organisations, can now save 15% on BikeRegister permanent and component marking kits. In other partnership news, Cyclescheme has just passed an impressive milestone of its own, having processed 600,000 bikes through the scheme. 70,000 users have automatically been registered to BikeRegister in the past year through Cyclescheme, who are the best in the cycle to work industry. The BikeRegister Visible Marking kit permanently marks the frame of your bike with your unique BikeRegister ID and the Component Marking Kit allows you to mark your frame and components such as gears, handlebars, saddles and wheels, with hundreds of microscopic dots printed with your unique BikeRegister ID. Josh Hore from British Cycling said: Unfortunately, bike theft is a growing issue in the UK. Registering your bike and purchasing marking kits can go a long way to keeping your bike safe and secure, as well as aiding the Police if your bike is stolen. The BikeRegister website is fully responsive, allowing customers to access their account, and Police to check stolen bikes, on smart phones and tablets whilst on the go. The site also enables members of the public to check second hand bikes to assist them in trying to avoid purchasing stolen goods. It is free to register your bike on BikeRegister, however by purchasing a permanent bike marking kit you make you bike less attractive to thieves by marking your bike with your unique BikeRegister ID. Cyclescheme s free, annual Cycle to Work Day is on Wednesday 14th September. Last year s event saw tens of thousands of commuters cycling over a million miles. Pledge your support to ride on the day and be in with a chance of winning prizes at www.cycletoworkday.org Cycleplan A year after our partnership started, specialist cycle insurance providers Cycleplan report that there have been over 2,230 activations of their 4 weeks free cycle insurance offer, which is available when you register your bike with BikeRegister. London Cycling Campaign BikeRegister has formed a new partnership with The London Cycling Campaign, who are a 12,000-strong membership charity. Campaigning to make cycling safe and inviting for everyone, The London Cycling Campaign s vision is to make cycling a choice for any Londoner who wants to ride the streets conveniently and without fear. To find out more about LCC or to become a member visit www.lcc.org.uk BikeRegister and the BikeRegister logo are registered trademarks of Selectamark Security Systems plc. BikeRegister is operated by Selectamark Security Systems plc. For more information email: info@bikeregister.com Selectamark Security Systems plc is certified to ISO9001:2008 and ISO27001:2013 and holds LPCB Certification for asset marking systems (LPS1225:Issue3) and the SecureAssetRegister& BikeRegister databases (LPS1224:Issue3). This guarantees your data will not be misused or sold on, and is only ever disclosed to support Police investigations. Selectamark Security Systems plc, 1 Locks Court, 429 Crofton Road, Locksbottom, Kent, BR6 8NL. Telephone: 01689 860757 DA0297/1 8