POLICE are encouraging cyclists to mark bikes with UV pens because of a growing number of stolen or unidentified bikes filling up police storerooms.
North-West metro police will have access to UV lights which highlight normally invisible pen markings of a drivers licence number to quickly identify the owner.
Mirrabooka police community engagement officer Terry Welsh said police storerooms were regularly filled with bikes that had been seized or found.
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READ NOW“I think every police station in metro area would have at least 10-15 bikes and that is regular occurrence,” he said.
“So as soon as we’re emptying the property stores – they are filled back up with bikes.”
Balcatta resident Mark Prosser said cycling was his main form of transport but recently he had three bikes stolen.
“I had one taken when I wanted to take in the wheelie bin, I thought it would be safe because the gate was padlocked shut but someone jumped the fence and stole it,” he said.
“Another time I was doing shopping at Innaloo and the locks were cut.”
Sgt Welsh said he was working with local bike shops on a program to provide the pens to customers when they purchase a bike.
“People can get the UV markers from (Mirrabooka) station and we’re in the process of rolling them out as part of our neighbourhood watch,” he said.
“The pens last for a long time so we’re asking people once they have used it on their bike you can mark up all your items at home like your laptops, phones and I-Pads.”
He said it was also worth investing in a good quality ‘D’ lock rather than a cheaper chain which could be cut.
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