Have you heard about Operation Rici?

This is an initiative run jointly by Safer Transport Command and Hammersmith Hammersmith and Fulham Police tackling the rise in the theft of cycles across the borough.

Operation Rici is mainly aimed at members of public who lock their bikes securely in cycle racks, go about their daily business and return to find that their bike has been stolen.

The vast majority of cyclists do not keep a record of their bikes model, let alone its frame number. This makes identifying a bicycle as stolen near impossible. Current statistics state that only 5% of all stolen bikes in the London area ever get returned to their rightful owner.

The operation is designed to reduce both the number of un-registered bikes and the number of stolen bikes within the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.

Police say Operation Rici results are impressive with a 30% reduction in bike thefts between Sept 2010 and Jan 2011 compared with the same period 12 months before. The operation will continue to run throughout 2011 in Hammersmith & Fulham.

PC Matt Fryer from Hammersmith and Fulham's Safer Transport Team says: " Operation Rici has proved a great success over the past six months and we will continue to target specific areas across the borough.

I would encourage all members of public to make a record of the bike details and keep them in a safe place. There are also various property marking schemes available through this operation and other local initiatives."

February 7, 2011