New analysis commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that during 2022, a total of 3,696 bike theft cases in the Thames Valley were closed without a suspect being identified – equal to a 89.7% of total reported cases.
Only 67 bike thefts that were reported in the Thames Valley last year resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed, equivalent to just 1.6 per cent of the total 4,119 cases recorded.
Reading’s Liberal Democrats warned these figures showed the Government was effectively ‘decriminalising’ bike theft, letting criminals off the hook for the stealing of thousands of pounds worth of property.
The party has accused the Conservative Government of neglecting neighbourhood policing. Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) numbers have also plummeted under the Conservative Party’s watch, with over 4,000 PCSOs being taken off the streets since 2015.
Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible and trusted, with the time to focus on tackling local crime.
Commenting on the figures, Reading Liberal Democrat Leader on Reading Borough Council, Councillor James Moore said: “Bike theft is personal. It has not been taken seriously and this must change. To see so many go unsolved in Reading is appalling.
“These figures show the Government is effectively decriminalising bike theft in our local communities – our Tory Police and Crime Commissioner and ministers in Westminster seem content to let it continue.
“We need to see a return to proper community policing, making our streets safer and ending this free-for-all for criminals.”
Responding to the data, Matthew Barber, the Police & Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, told Reading Today: “Theft, shoplifting and burglary are all hugely impactful crimes.
“That’s why the Crimefighters Strategy I published earlier this year with the Chief Constable will see Thames Valley Police doubling the number of officers in neighbourhood policing this year to tackle neighbourhood crimes such as bicycle theft.”
