Bike thefts at stations 'decriminalised'

"The BTP report came back after I reported it and it said they wouldn't investigate it. Even though it's right under a camera. And I found out that if you have left your bike for more than two hours, they won't investigate it. I was pretty shocked because what it's doing effectively is decriminalising bike theft and I realised how many people are being affected by this."

"Lots of people across the country cycle to a station every day and their possessions aren't being looked after. They're not safe. Hundreds of thousands of pounds are being thrown into secure bike parking and it isn't secure. These cameras, you could put a bag over them and that would be exactly the same purpose they serve. The footage is never watched, the footage isn't monitored so the cameras don't do anything, so the thieves are so confident now they just take"

British Transport Police will not investigate bicycle thefts outside stations when a bicycle has been left unattended for more than two hours. Thousands of cycles are routinely left on racks and in bike parks at stations, many of which have CCTV. The policy means most bike thefts and related CCTV footage outside a two-hour timeframe will not be reviewed. Critics argue that the policy effectively decriminalises bike theft and undermines the security value of dedicated bike parking. A commuter reported incidents at Watford Junction, learned officers would not investigate after he left his bike for ten hours, and described cameras as unmonitored and ineffective.

Read at www.bbc.com