Operation Voltaire Leads To 4 Arrests


Wandsworth police recover£7,000 worth of bicycles & bike parts

Wandsworth Safer Transport Team have been working on Operation Voltaire to target cycle thefts within Wandsworth borough. 

Officers took ownership of the crime and conducted a number of enquiries using technology such as CCTV to identify suspects.

In addition to this, Wandsworth Safer Transport Team's PCSOs have assisted in attempting to reduce the number of cycle thefts by giving out crime prevention advice to cyclists and providing a free cycle marking scheme at pre-arranged events and as part of their routine patrols.

Inspector Graham Sutherland of Safer Transport Command said:
"The Wandsworth Safer Transport Team are working hard and using innovative tactics to identify, arrest and prosecute cycle thieves in the borough. We are conscious of the fact that cycle theft deters many people from taking up, or continuing, cycling and we are determined to reduce the incidence of this crime.”

There are three simple steps that all cyclists should take so that if there bike is stolen they stand a good chance of being reunited with it:
* Record – Keep a record for yourself of the frame number, make and any other marks that can identify your bike if it is stolen. The Safer Transport Team and the Cycle Taskforce run a number of bike marking events, details can be found at http://www.met.police.uk/transport/cycle_marking.html

* Register – There are a number of websites where cyclists can register the details of their bikes and any distinguishing features/ frame numbers etc. The MPS have recently selected BikeRegister as the preferred cycle online registration service - www.bikeregister.com.

* Report – If your bike is stolen then please make sure that you report it to the police. Bike theft is a significantly under reported crime. Reporting the theft will enable us to check databases and contact the owner once the bike is recovered.



There are a number of cycle marking events organised in Wandsworth for June:

What: Bike marking scheme When: 20/06/2012 - 5pm - 7pm  @ Balham Community Space (behind Sainsburys)

What: Bike marking scheme When: 23/06/2012 - 12:00 - 2pm @ St Marys Church Sq, Putney High St, SW15 (nr Putney Bridge)

What: Bike marking scheme When: 27/06/2012 - 5pm - 7pm @ Balham Community Space (behind Sainsburys)

What: Bike marking scheme When: 04/07/2012 - 5pm - 7pm @ Balham Community Space (behind Sainsburys)

May 17, 2012