Partner Article

Bike theft lessons aim to reduce crime

In an attempt to reduce incidences of bicycle theft, a Dutch cycling group plans to teach people across their country how to steal bikes. Bike group Fietsersbond found that cyclists became more security-conscious after taking lessons in two-wheeled criminality.

“Someone specialised in locks shows people how to unpick them. This teaches people how to better secure their bikes,” a spokeswoman for the group said on Wednesday.

About 700,000 bikes were stolen in the Netherlands last year, which is home to 18 million bikes. Bikes are the most common form of transport in the Netherlands. Fietserbond’s lessons will be targeted at students moving to the cities like Amsterdam, who are often found to be lacking in bike-securing skills.

The spokeswoman said: “If freshmen move to the city with their bikes, it is a party for bike thieves.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .