BAYSWATER Police are calling on the public to assist with a three-month operation targeting bike thefts from unsecure homes.
Operation Kang began on January 22 and runs until April 30, following an increase in bike thefts across the station’s suburbs including Bayswater, Maylands, Bedford, Embleton, Inglewood and Mt Lawley.
Officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant John Waghorn said the operation also involved a social media strategy, which encouraged people to send photos of their stolen bikes to police.
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READ NOW“The number of bicycle thefts that we have had over a period of time has been quite high and as a consequence we need to instigate this operation,” he said.
“We are basically trying to source photographs of all bikes that have been knocked off and circulate that through multiple pawnbrokers in the area also outside of area.
“We will also use social media platforms and my district intelligence (team) will also search other platforms like Quokka, to see whether we can improve the amount of stolen bikes we recover.”
Sgt Waghorn said police aimed to reduce bike thefts and improve their ability to locate stolen bikes.
“We are asking people to stop leaving their bikes in their front yards, open garages and carports, and even rear yards where people can walk out with bikes,” he said.
“Engrave your bikes, secure them in locked garages or leave them in your rooms; just to avoid someone knocking off bikes.
“People are walking into people’s front yards and taking two or three bicycles worth $1000 each so all of the sudden the victim is $3000 or $4000 out of pocket… some of the more expensive bikes can be worth $10,000.
“It is a significant issue for us so we are trying to target hard and improve the chances of apprehending and locking up people responsible.
“It is important that the public play their part as well.”
Meanwhile, police are searching for a bike stolen from a backyard in Fifth Avenue in Mt Lawley between February 1 to 2.
Contact Bayswater Police on 9473 5500.
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