My name is Craig Berry and I’m the officer responsible for the policing of Rushcliffe Borough.
Over the month of May we saw an emerging pattern of bike thefts taking place in and around West Bridgford Town Centre outside the main shops and supermarkets. In addition, bikes have been stolen from the cycle huts at Rushcliffe Arena and Roko Gym.
In response to an increase in bike theft, we’ve deployed capture bikes at problem locations which resulted in an 18 year old man from Aspley being arrested and charged with bike theft on Thursday 3rd June.
Criminals are using bolt croppers to cut through weaker chain locks and coil locks. We strongly advise that cyclists invest in a decent D lock as these are far likely to be targeted. Local police officers are offering bike marking and also using CCTV cameras to assist in identifying those responsible. We’ll continue to advertise our bike marking events on our social media pages.
With the arrival of summer, there’s a predictable return to certain other crimes such as shed burglary and walk-in house burglaries. Please think carefully about how you can prevent yourself, your family and your neighbours becoming a victim. There’s a lot of advice on our website and the starting point should be that we don’t make it easy for criminals.
We’ve continued to work on the April to June local policing priorities and have seen a reduction in antisocial behaviour reports, which is good to see. In the next few weeks, we’ll advertise our summer engagement plans which will tell you where and when you can come and see us over the summer to discuss any concerns and seek advice.
Enjoy the sunshine!
Inspector Craig Berry