Unclaimed Bicycles Are Problem For Police

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30959, 15 January 1966, Page 14

Unclaimed Bicycles Are Problem For Police

Eight police at the Christchurch central station have a large problem on their hands. They are the four detectives and four uniform branch men who staff the bicycle office.

Since December 15 they have collected 237 bicycles from the streets and only about 50 per cent have been claimed. Most of the storage space tn two sheds is occupied by about 500 bicycles collected during the last three months. “There are far too many of them,” said Sergeant L. McC. Bailey, who is in charge of the office. “This year is worse than last year,” he said. “It has been worse over the Christ-mas-New Year period but we really haven’t had a let-up for the whole year.” Carelessness was the main reason the bicycles came into the hands of the police, he said. “People are more interested in their holidays than in their bicycles and just leave

jthem lying around—they have no interest in their property. I “However, we are not receiving so many complaints about bikes being stolen—possibly the people are too tired !to report the theft” Sergeant Bailty said eight men worked six days a week trying to locate owners and the police made collections five days a »reek of bicycles which had been reported lying around. If a bicycle had not been claimed after three months it was either handed back to the finder or sold at auction. “The average value of those bikes would be £7,” Sergeant Bailey said. “We are lucky if we ever get the number of bikes in the sheds below 300,” he said. “We are collecting more than are being claimed.”

Sergeant Bailey urged people whose bicycles were missing to inquire at the bicycle office at the Central Police Station. The chances were it had come into police hands.