‘Ready market’ for stolen bikes

"There was a number of bikes stolen from various locations and UC Security increased patrols of the cycle stands and worked with the Police to try to identify the offenders.'' University of Canterbury spokesperson

A ‘‘ready market’’ for stolen bicycles is creating headaches at the University of Canterbury (UC), with increased patrols and subsidised bike locks stemming the tide of theft.

Bicycle theft was an issue across Christchurch, senior constable Ken Carter said, but the university was targeted ‘‘mainly because there are a lot of bikes used by students’’.

‘‘It’s also somewhere the offenders can blend in amongst the young people,’’ Carter said.

Carter confirmed Police were running an operation to identify offenders, but tracking down the stolen property was a much more difficult matter.

‘‘The bikes are on sold extremely quickly – there is a very ready market for these bikes,’’ Carter said, with most thefts unresolved.

UCSA president James Addington said issues began at the start of the academic year.

‘‘We started getting a lot of messages through our social media pages, so we sat down with security and police,’’ Addington said.

The UCSA bought 50 heavy duty locks from Church Corner Cycles to on-sell to students at cost price, which Addington said was ‘‘really helpful’’.

‘‘We’re always monitoring [theft at university], and if there is a need for it, we can always do it again.’’

Over the years, UC had invested in secure cycle stands and locked bike sheds, but thefts had risen this year, a spokesperson said.

‘‘There was a number of bikes stolen from various locations and UC Security increased patrols of the cycle stands and worked with the Police to try to identify the offenders,’’ she said.

‘‘The numbers of staff and students using bicycles as their main mode of transport is higher than the city-wide average,’’ she said, that number expected to rise with Christchurch City Council’s new Uni-Cycle pathway.

Cyclists on campus should secure their bikes to dedicated cycle racks or in the bike sheds using quality locks, she said.