A spike in bicycle thefts has triggered a police warning for owners to take greater care to secure their bikes.
New Crime Statistics Agency data reveals a 26 per cent rise in bike thefts across north-western suburbs last year.
That has prompted police to launch an operation highlighting the risks of leaving unsecured or poorly secured bikes around theft hotspots, particularly railway stations. At least 275 bikes were reported stolen in Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong in 2015, up from 204 in 2013. They are just some of more than 6221 bikes reported stolen across Victoria last year.
Police and PSOs of the Transit Safety Division will be running Operation Bike Safe at inner-west railway stations in coming weeks, and they plan to discuss anti-theft strategies and other crime prevention techniques with cycling commuters. Stations to be targeted during the operation include Footscray, Yarraville, Newport and Laverton.
Sergeant Mani Brouskos said the frustrating thing about many bike thefts was that they were easily avoided.
“Unfortunately, people continue to leave their bikes in public places with no lock or safety measures in place,” Sergeant Brouskos said.
Free bicycle engraving will be offered to assist with recovery of stolen property.
Police are urging cyclists to take photos of their bikes to help track stolen items.
