Secured by Design supports Met Police with new campaign

The Metropolitan Police is reminding owners to ‘Lock, Chain and Cover’ their mopeds and scooters as it relaunches campaign to reduce moped theft and crime, with support from Secured by Design, the national police crime prevention initiative.

‘Lock, Chain, Cover’ forms part of the Met’s Be Safe campaign, which supports Operation Venice and policing activity across London, with particular focus on the boroughs experiencing the highest amounts of bike theft – Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Haringey, Brent, Southwark, Barnet, Greenwich, Hackney, Islington, Camden, Lewisham and the City of Westminster.

The campaign is supported by the Motorcycle Industry Association and a wide variety of partners across the industry from manufacturers to insurers and training providers. Advertising will be seen across London, on buses and on pavement stencils at motorcycle parking bays which have seen high numbers of thefts and content will be posted on the Met’s social media channels.

Secured by Design (SBD) will be hosting the campaign webpage on its website, allowing visitors to see the Met’s security advice whilst also being able to see a list of security products relevant to the campaign which have achieved Police Preferred Specification and are therefore accredited by SBD.

https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/vehicle-crime/lock-chain-cover-scooter-safety

Chief Inspector Jim Corbett, from Operation Venice, which tackles moped and motorcycle crime, said: “Officers from Operation Venice continue to tackle those that steal mopeds and scooters for criminal activity, and whilst we are making excellent headway on this, we continue to remind owners that they can help us by protecting their vehicles.

“A number of owners continue to park their scooters and motorcycles with minimal security measures – often only using a steering lock to prevent them from being stolen. It only takes seconds for a thief to steal one, if it is unprotected.

“That is why we have relaunched our campaign to encourage owners to protect their vehicle using ‘Lock, Chain and Cover’. Using additional security reduces the chances of moped theft, which is reduced even further if multiple security measures are used.”

“Our advice for owners is to:

• LOCK: Use a disc lock on the front wheel to stop your bike being wheeled away. Fit a grip lock to the throttle and engage the steering lock.
• CHAIN: Secure the rear wheel with a chain and a padlock. Attach the chain to a ground anchor or other fixed object where possible.
• COVER: Bike covers prevent immediate access to the controls and security features and stop thieves shopping for bike models.

“If all owners of mopeds, scooters and motorcycles follow these three simple steps it’s less likely to draw the attention of thieves and reduce thefts and crime even further.”

SBD is part of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, a police owned organisation that works on behalf of the Police Service to deliver a wide range of crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives across the UK.