A total of 303 motorcycles have been stolen within County Durham and Darlington in 2009.
A break down of which parts of the force area are suffering the most thefts can be seen below:
Darlington 81
Chester le street 32
Crook / Dales 31
Peterlee / Seaham 31
Durham City 27
Stanley 24
Newton Aycliffe 20
Spennymoor / Ferryhill 20
Consett 18
Bishop Auckland 13
Barnard Castle 6
Of the bikes stolen they can be broken down into the following categories:
38.9% Small capacity bikes <125cc i.e. mopeds, scooter and Learner legal bikes.
34.1% off road bikes (child's bikes, mini motos, motocross, quads etc).
26.9% Larger capacity bikes > 125cc.
0.1% Trikes.
So exactly where were they stolen from?
62.6% were stolen from outside houses or in public areas.
34.6% were stolen in burglaries of sheds and garages (Non dwellings).
2.8% were stolen in dwelling burglaries (Which includdes garages incorporated into a dwelling).
Out of the total of bikes thefts (not including burglaries) 66% were parked up with no form of security at all!
It's easy to see that the vast majority of stolen bikes in the force area continue to be small scooter/learner legal bikes left unattended and insecure.
Keeping these bikes out of view from opportunistic thieves and locking them with some additional security device could have a dramatic effect on the numbers stolen and prevent you from becoming a victim of crime.
An added problem often encountered, is that many off road machines from motocross bikes, kid's pit bikes to quad bikes are owned by people who frequently have no idea of the frame and / or engine numbers.
As a consequence, if the police come across a stolen bike without the numbers having been given to them at the time it was stolen then they have little chance of identifying it as stolen or of linking it to the original owner.
They can't keep it, so have no option to give it back to the very person that may have been the thief !!
Please make sure that you have a record of all the frame/engine numbers of your machine and keep them safe, by doing so you'll increase the chances of getting your bike returned in the event of it being stolen and the offender(s), more likely to be brought before the courts.
To reduce your chances of becoming a victim invest in a security product that will stop your machine from simply being pushed or lifted away.
There are a whole host of security products on sale both in dealers and on websites; have a look at them and read the reviews before you decide what to buy but whatever you buy use it!!
Anybody who has been on a BikeWise Training day can obtain further discounts from Roy Collins Motorcycle Security & Heine Gericke at Darlington....
If you have any information on stolen motorcycles or parts and you don't want to provide your details don't forget that you can use Crimestoppers anonymously by telephoning 0800 555 111.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CRIMESTOPPERS
Darlington 81
Chester le street 32
Crook / Dales 31
Peterlee / Seaham 31
Durham City 27
Stanley 24
Newton Aycliffe 20
Spennymoor / Ferryhill 20
Consett 18
Bishop Auckland 13
Barnard Castle 6
Of the bikes stolen they can be broken down into the following categories:
38.9% Small capacity bikes <125cc i.e. mopeds, scooter and Learner legal bikes.
34.1% off road bikes (child's bikes, mini motos, motocross, quads etc).
26.9% Larger capacity bikes > 125cc.
0.1% Trikes.
So exactly where were they stolen from?
62.6% were stolen from outside houses or in public areas.
34.6% were stolen in burglaries of sheds and garages (Non dwellings).
2.8% were stolen in dwelling burglaries (Which includdes garages incorporated into a dwelling).
Out of the total of bikes thefts (not including burglaries) 66% were parked up with no form of security at all!
It's easy to see that the vast majority of stolen bikes in the force area continue to be small scooter/learner legal bikes left unattended and insecure.
Keeping these bikes out of view from opportunistic thieves and locking them with some additional security device could have a dramatic effect on the numbers stolen and prevent you from becoming a victim of crime.
An added problem often encountered, is that many off road machines from motocross bikes, kid's pit bikes to quad bikes are owned by people who frequently have no idea of the frame and / or engine numbers.
As a consequence, if the police come across a stolen bike without the numbers having been given to them at the time it was stolen then they have little chance of identifying it as stolen or of linking it to the original owner.
They can't keep it, so have no option to give it back to the very person that may have been the thief !!
Please make sure that you have a record of all the frame/engine numbers of your machine and keep them safe, by doing so you'll increase the chances of getting your bike returned in the event of it being stolen and the offender(s), more likely to be brought before the courts.
To reduce your chances of becoming a victim invest in a security product that will stop your machine from simply being pushed or lifted away.
There are a whole host of security products on sale both in dealers and on websites; have a look at them and read the reviews before you decide what to buy but whatever you buy use it!!
Anybody who has been on a BikeWise Training day can obtain further discounts from Roy Collins Motorcycle Security & Heine Gericke at Darlington....
If you have any information on stolen motorcycles or parts and you don't want to provide your details don't forget that you can use Crimestoppers anonymously by telephoning 0800 555 111.