Bike Theft Statistics

The Freedom of Information Act has allowed MAG to request details of motorcycle thefts from every police force in the UK over recent years. Most forces respond reasonably quickly but a few don't and one or two have failed to provide figures. MAG collates and analyses the information (and have been able to point out errors made by some forces, who have then been able to correct their mistakes). It reveals some interesting facts and one section in particular provides useful, evidence-based advice for us as bikers.

If you live or ride in Hertfordshire be aware that St.Albans and Watford are motorcycle theft hotspotsThere were a total of 828 offences over a period of 2 years and 10 months. 107 offenders were identified, some were multiple-offenders. One theft actually involved 9 people.
They were predominantly male (97%). Aged from 12 to 62, average age 22, with 48% below 18. Generally 55% of bike thefts were from off-road car parks or on-street parking, 34% from a driveway or garden. Only 2% were stolen from a shed or garage.
Just 26% of the 828 stolen bikes were noted as being secured by chain, disc lock or equivalent. Of these, 75 had the locking device cut or damaged and left at the scene, suggesting the remaining 142 were 'lifted'.
So that's only 9% of thefts where the scumbags had to trouble themselves with bolt croppers or angle grinders and 22% where a van was needed. Nearly 70% of thieves are not being put to any real trouble to carry out their nefarious acts!

This information is specific to Hertfordshire but there's no reason to believe it isn't a similar picture across the country. So as owners it looks like we need to take a bit more responsibility when it comes to securing our bikes.
Incidentally, London has by far the highest number of bike thefts and moped/scooters are listed as most commonly stolen.

 

I got that directly from the MAG mag called The Road Issue 98 Jan/Feb 2022. As a member of MAG I have access to their number crunching exercises and I'm sure it's out there somewhere for non-believers to dig up, but I don't know exactly where. Easiest thing would be to join up

 

Still think you ought to join MAG

 

Not sure we actually 'put up with it'. Do we have much say in the matter of scumbags stealing our bikes?. Motorcycle theft is relatively low down on the police priority list. They have limited resources so I can understand why. Combatting violent crime is more important and Organised Crime (OC) causes far more victims, so they are at the top of the list.
However, the battle against motorcycle theft could be better organised. MAG has discovered that the record keeping by some forces is poor and badly organised. This means they could not supply the requested information about thefts because they claimed that to retrieve it would take too long, and therefore be too expensive. You would expect this sort of thing to be readily available from computer records. It would seem that in a few cases it isn't.

However some forces do periodically target crimes such as this. For example, West Mercia Police pioneered an approach called 'We Don't Buy Crime', as part of which they commissioned a study by Warwick Uni.
It requires good record keeping, cross-referencing and communication with other forces. But it worked and acquisitive crime (theft), including motorcycle theft, rates fell. Some other forces have incorporated aspects of it but it seems only Gwent Police have a dedicated department.
So it can be done if time, money and other resources are made available.