A new nationwide FREE service has been launched to help tackle the rise in motorcycle crime. BikersUnited is a free to use online database where victims of theft can report a stolen scooter/bike and also alert other riders to crime/theft or suspicious behaviour in their local area, in real time.
The BikersUnited website has been created by the founder of Visordown, Ben Cope, who commented “As an individual, it’s hard to tackle bike crime. However, as a group, our collective input can make a difference. While bike crime might not seem rife in all areas across the UK, it is at alarming levels in London, Liverpool, Bristol and is spreading through the country.”
Ben went on to say “Countless bikers I’ve spoken to are frustrated by this rise in crime and the bad name that these criminals are giving to biking. By working together, we can help raise awareness of bike crime on a local level, allowing owners to better protect their bikes. We can also provide more evidence to help the police fix individuals to times, vehicles and locations, increasing the chances of these criminals being successfully prosecuted.”
Motorcycle crime epidemic
The motorcycle crime epidemic is quickly spreading throughout the country, with over 30,000 motorcycles and scooters reported as stolen in 2017, a massive jump from just 8,000 in 2012. The so-called ‘Moped Enabled Thefts’ (which as we all know are usually carried out on high-powered scooters rather than mopeds) have also rocketed. In the same five year period those type of crimes rose from 827 to 23,000 in London alone. Statistics say you’re now 30 times more likely to have your mobile phone snatched in London than you were five years ago.
Reporting suspicious activity
Suspicious activity almost always precedes a crime, for example, gangs of scooters circling an area, or individuals checking out a bike before stealing it. Witnesses to these small incidents may not feel these small acts are worthy of reporting to the police or Crimestoppers but the BikersUnited.co.uk system enables them to upload images and log any activity that when collated will make a big difference.
As bikers/scooterists, we’re able to spot these criminals better than most other members of the public. These small snippets of information will be stored on BikersUnited.co.uk and supplied to the police to help them identify individuals and pin them down to a specific location and time.
Google is your friend
Once your stolen bike is listed on Bikers United it’s fed into Google and automatically shared on social channels. If anyone sees your bike, they’ll locate your listing and be able to update you with any information. The more this gets shared around the better the information will get.
Better than Facebook?
I’m sure we’ve all seen the great work stolen bike Facebook groups are doing, this initiative will help collate things in just one place and intelligence should grow as a result. The Facebook groups rely on you being a member of the particular group, or friends with somebody who has posted or shared it and we all know the Facebook algorithms pick and choose what and who we see.
Not all machines stay local either, for instance, we came across a Scomadi yesterday that had been stolen in Nottinghamshire and was found in the Liverpool area. Sadly it was burnt out before the owner could retrieve it. The more we stick together and share information the sooner we’ll help to eradicate these lowlife criminals.
You can start by sharing this post around your own social media channels and if you know of any stolen bikes, gangs or individuals stealing bikes, or have information that might be useful be sure to let BikersUnited have it.
New products always in development…
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ScooterNova – issue 2 | MAGAZINE
£5.00
A new nationwide FREE service has been launched to help tackle the rise in motorcycle crime. BikersUnited is a free to use online database where victims of theft can report a stolen scooter/bike and also alert other riders to crime/theft or suspicious behaviour in their local area, in real time.
The BikersUnited website has been created by the founder of Visordown, Ben Cope, who commented “As an individual, it’s hard to tackle bike crime. However, as a group, our collective input can make a difference. While bike crime might not seem rife in all areas across the UK, it is at alarming levels in London, Liverpool, Bristol and is spreading through the country.”
Ben went on to say “Countless bikers I’ve spoken to are frustrated by this rise in crime and the bad name that these criminals are giving to biking. By working together, we can help raise awareness of bike crime on a local level, allowing owners to better protect their bikes. We can also provide more evidence to help the police fix individuals to times, vehicles and locations, increasing the chances of these criminals being successfully prosecuted.”
Motorcycle crime epidemic
The motorcycle crime epidemic is quickly spreading throughout the country, with over 30,000 motorcycles and scooters reported as stolen in 2017, a massive jump from just 8,000 in 2012. The so-called ‘Moped Enabled Thefts’ (which as we all know are usually carried out on high-powered scooters rather than mopeds) have also rocketed. In the same five year period those type of crimes rose from 827 to 23,000 in London alone. Statistics say you’re now 30 times more likely to have your mobile phone snatched in London than you were five years ago.
Reporting suspicious activity
Suspicious activity almost always precedes a crime, for example, gangs of scooters circling an area, or individuals checking out a bike before stealing it. Witnesses to these small incidents may not feel these small acts are worthy of reporting to the police or Crimestoppers but the BikersUnited.co.uk system enables them to upload images and log any activity that when collated will make a big difference.
As bikers/scooterists, we’re able to spot these criminals better than most other members of the public. These small snippets of information will be stored on BikersUnited.co.uk and supplied to the police to help them identify individuals and pin them down to a specific location and time.
Google is your friend
Once your stolen bike is listed on Bikers United it’s fed into Google and automatically shared on social channels. If anyone sees your bike, they’ll locate your listing and be able to update you with any information. The more this gets shared around the better the information will get.
Better than Facebook?
I’m sure we’ve all seen the great work stolen bike Facebook groups are doing, this initiative will help collate things in just one place and intelligence should grow as a result. The Facebook groups rely on you being a member of the particular group, or friends with somebody who has posted or shared it and we all know the Facebook algorithms pick and choose what and who we see.
Not all machines stay local either, for instance, we came across a Scomadi yesterday that had been stolen in Nottinghamshire and was found in the Liverpool area. Sadly it was burnt out before the owner could retrieve it. The more we stick together and share information the sooner we’ll help to eradicate these lowlife criminals.
You can start by sharing this post around your own social media channels and if you know of any stolen bikes, gangs or individuals stealing bikes, or have information that might be useful be sure to let BikersUnited have it.
New products always in development…
