BICYCLE THEFTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 28, 28 November 1944, Page 5

BICYCLE THEFTS

PRACTICE GROWS LOCALLY

TWO MAORIS PROSECUTED

Before Messrs J. G. Mulhollnnd and J. Smith, M.Ps. in the Whakatane Police Court yesterday two .young Maoris were, charged with having appropriated a bicycle to their own use on the night of August 21 iast. Tahae Ilape of Waimana who was charged with the actual theft, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. The other accused, Albert Pu'kekura pleaded 'not guilty' and was remanded for ten days.

Sergeant Farrell related how the accused had come into the pictures at Whakatane on the night in question and after having missed the bus home had helped themselves to a machine from the bicycle stand by the, theatre. They had double-bank-ed each other home, and arriving in Taneatua had tossed the machine into a field. It remained there for two weeks, when Hape returned took it home, and transposed some of its parts for those from other and older machines. He had then ridden it round as his own property, but Avhen interviewed by the police admitted his guilt. "The practice of Maoris stealing bicycles from the street in Whakatane is steadily growing " said 1 Sergeant Farrell. "It is u thing which is becoming general and needs checking with a firm hand; Some of these young fellows have not the slightest compunction in helping themselves to bicycle®, and then either abanding tUem or changing their parts yvith others in order to escape detection. I am asking the Bench to make the sentence a heavy one in order that it may act as a deterrent." Tiie prisoner was sentenced as above the Bench remarking that the maximum penalty could be as much as six months imprisonment or a fine of £20. ' | Unclaimed Machines The, growing extent of the above type of offence was emphasised by the police to a BEACON representative after the court proceedings ye>tex'day. At the, police station there are no less than five unclaimed bicycles which have been recovered by the police ■ as stolen property. The difficulty about, identification is that the offenders in all cases have removed essential parts and replaced them w T ith others so that even though the frame may belong to one owner he has no means of being sure that the machine is his owing to the. changing over of wheel:, forks or handlebars. The police state that by far the greater number of complaints regarding theft in. this dis.trict relate to the removal of bicycles from tlv street, stands or from some section of the roadway where they have been left.