Tasmania Police have released statistics showing that bike theft in the Hobart council area has more than doubled in March.
Twenty-three bicycles were stolen in Hobart in March, up from 5 in February and 10 in January. Statewide, the figures for March are 59 compared to 51 in February and 67 in January.
Police did not offer a reason for the Hobart spike but said criminals were often opportunistic and urged owners to always lock up their bikes somewhere secure.
While the fuel crisis may be a contributing factor to the March rise there is a fair bit of fluctuation in theft statistics, with statewide November figures last year also showing above-average thefts at 76.
If thefts continue at this rate they would substantially exceed the 2018–23 average of 452 thefts.
The Mercury newspaper recently highlighted thefts from the Royal Hobart Hospital’s staff bike parking area and the successful recovery of one stolen bike that had a tracker on it.
Unfortunately, the advent of battery-operated angle grinders means even D or U locks are no longer as secure as they once were, although some models will take crooks a lot longer to cut and use multiple blades.
Tasmania Police participates in the Bikelinc website (https://bikelinc.com.au) which allows them to check if a bike is stolen so listing your bicycle on it can aid in recovery if stolen.
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