Bicycle theft in the city with thief and bike

Bike theft up in Luton in January

By Jonathan Ratcliffe

Bicycle theft is an older crime than you might think - as long ago as 1817, you might have heard the German inventor Karl Drais exclaiming about his purloined velocipede.


Still, bicycle theft remains a pressing concern, with the pedal-powered vehicle one of the few belongings frequently left in public places, and thus the one most likely to be stolen by any thief not already riding a bicycle. In January alone, there were six reported bicycle thefts in the Luton area, with four taking place in the town centre, and two even on the same road, this was a huge uptick from the same month in January 2019, when only one bicycle was stolen, as well as from 2018 (4), and from the preceding months of December (3), November (0) and October (5).

The huge uptick in bicycle theft (representing a 100% increase from the preceding month) in January of this year suggests a link with Christmas, with many people receiving the popular exercise aid under their Christmas tree during the festive season.

Bicycle theft most drastically affects young and lower-income victims, who are more likely to depend on bicycles for free transport and be less able to replace their vehicles when stolen.

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BY Jonathan Ratcliffe

Jonathan manages Marketing at CCTV.co.uk - with over 15 years experience in CCTV Installation - he writes as an Expert in CCTV Systems, News, Crime Rate Analysis and other FAQs