York has some of the worst stats for bike theft in the country. But now a new group is launching a fightback.
Formed by York Cycle Campaign, Securecycle York aims to cut bike crime in the city, after York was ranked as having the third highest rate of cycle theft in the UK.
According to police data, North Yorkshire also saw a 176% rise in e-bike thefts, the highest within all forces.
Securecycle York is bringing together a number of agencies including North Yorkshire and British Transport Police, Safer York Partnership, City of York Council, local cycle shops and York Cycle Campaign to coordinate measures to tackle bike crime.
A detailed action plan to fight the theft will be released soon, and the first group meeting to get things underway took place last Thursday (16 December).
York Cycle Campaign were behind the ‘pop up supervised cycle parking‘ trial in the city centre, introduced to encourage travelling on two wheels.
A safe cycle parking facility was set up during the Christmas Markets, based on the grounds of York Minster Refectory.
The project aimed to make it easier for cyclists to park during a time where Parliament Street was too busy to push a bike through.
The safe cycle parking will be made available again for Residents Weekend, and the group is hoping that this can become a model for a more permanent addition.
Group coordinator Leah Bennet said: “We aim to develop a plan that can be implemented quickly within existing budgets, helping to deter thefts through a combination of raising awareness of how to keep your bike safe, improved detection and better prevention.”
The group have already gained the backing of Jo Coles, York and North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Police, Fire and Crime.
They plan to work alongside her and local authorities, as well as police, York businesses and community organisations to cut bike theft, and bring more cyclists to the roads.