Cyclists Warned By Superintendent

Press, Volume C, Issue 29444, 21 February 1961, Page 6

Cyclists Warned By Superintendent

Carelessness of Christchurch bicycle owners is costing the police, and indirectly the taxpayers, something like £6OOO a year. Bicycle owners themselves also suffer a loss of several hundred pounds every year.

This is because hundreds of bicycles are left around the streets and in the majority of cases riders take no precautions to prevent the conversion of their machines.

Christchurch has by far the highest rate of bicycle conversion in New Zealand. Every year hundreds of bicycles are converted or stolen and then abandoned in the city or suburbs. “One of the most puzzling features of this matter is that out of the hundreds of bicycles which come into the possession of the police, only a small percentage are identified and collected by their owners,” said Superintendent C. L. Spencer. “You can only conclude that Christchurch cyclists are. a wealthy croyvd and money means nothing to them.” Storage Problem A large shed at the back of the Central Police Station is crammed full with hundreds of bicycles which have not been claimed. They range in value from £3 or £4 to more than £3O. Storage presents quite a problem and occupies space which is badly needed for other purposes. A sergeant and six constables, equipped with a pickup vehicle, are occupied fulltime in dealing with reports of converted cycles and receiving abandoned machines and tracing their owners. Many telephone calls are re-

ceived every week from persons who have seen bicycles abandoned in their streets. Some of these are taken to suburban stations. At regular intervals the truck makes the rounds and picks up the machines left in the streets and at the stations. “I want to drive home to bicycle owners that the cost to taxpayers in Christchurch alone is the equivalent of the price of two average threebedroomed houses each year,” Superintendent Spencer said. “This is a terrific price to pay for the carelessness when for the -expenditure of a few shillings a lock can be purchased to make their machines secure when left unattended in the streets.” Disappearance of Stands One factor which has some influence on the increasing number of conversions in recent years is the disappearance of stands where a rider, on payment of 3d, could leave his machine in safety. With rising costs the operation of these stands became uneconomic. Most converted bicycles are used by the offender for only a short time and then abandoned. Conversions from outside hotels are quite frequent. The chances of a bicycle left around the street# late at night being taken are quite high. There have been a few instances in Christchurch when bicycles have been stolen and completely stripped of parts. Frameworks were then thrown into the river, or abandoned. ' Persons calling at the lost bicycle section at the Central Police Station are giVen a fairly elaborate form to fill in. Policemen employed there are amazed by the number of persons who can only give the vaguest description of their bicycle, though they may have been riding the same one for some years. Difficult Task It is a difficult task to apprehend converters and the police ai-e always very appreciative of the help given by the public in catching offenders. In most cases, persons who unlawfully take bicycles can only be charged with conversion as their actions do not come under the definition of theft If the machine is damaged or parts removed, then a theft charge is laid. Power-cycles have become very popular during the postwar years and these are also subject to a fairly high conversion rate. In many instances the offenders have been boys of 14 and 15. Police have apprehended two or three groups of boys who have been responsible for a number of power-cycle conversions.