87% of UK neighbourhoods see not a single bike theft solved

An investigation by the Telegraph Newspaper utilising national crime data has apparently revealed that 87% of UK neighbourhoods saw not a single bike theft solved by police.

Coming to light on a day where high profile BBC Economics Editor Faisal Islam took to social media to complain that his GPS tracker-clad bike was stolen, flashing a signal and yet of no interest to the Metropolitan Police, the study follows on from dire ‘case closed’ figures that have been evident for many years.

In the Telegraph’s scan of the data we learn that within the 24,000 neighbourhoods reporting bike theft over the past three years, 87% has no cases solved and therefore each would be closed without a suspect being identified. As reported previously and as appears to be the case in Mr Islam’s case, victims very often find their cases wound up in about 24 hours post complaint.

“They closed case the day after I reported it… this is despite the fact the bike is still beaming its location (now to two or three streets) If they identify vehicle, pretty strong basis to crack an entire gang,” commented the presenter after posting the MET’s reply to his Twitter.

The paper’s investigation turned up further detail too, calculating that the national average for suspect identification gave just a 1.4% chance in 2020, which itself was down on a 2.8% chance in 2016. The number of police on the street has fluctuated during that time, falling from 172,000 in 2010 to 160,000 in 2021.

Bike theft, according to studies, is a leading turn off in the move to encourage people toward cycling versus driving short journeys. Research suggests that as many as 1.5 million potential commuters are deterred by the lack of secure parking at workplaces.

The Telegraph analysis picks out some hotspots, notably high modal share Cambridge. In one neighbourhood, the worst on the charts, 406 bike theft cases passed by with no suspect identification. Office for National Statistics data suggests that the rate of reported thefts per 1,000 people during 2020 in Cambridge was 18.4, the highest in the UK.