'This sends the wrong message to bike thieves across Greater Manchester'

Andy Burnham has taken a stand against the British Transport Police’s (BTP) policy on bike theft investigations at train stations. BTP recently announced it would only review two hours of CCTV footage for incidents, citing workload concerns. Burnham and Stockport councillors have penned a joint letter expressing their alarm, arguing this move could embolden bike thieves and discourage cycling, pushing people back to cars. They believe this sends a poor message to the public and undermines the deterrent against theft. BTP insists it records all reported bike crimes and tries to follow up on viable leads, but acknowledges the difficulty in solving cases without clear evidence. Active travel advocate Harry Gray highlighted the issue, stressing bike theft impacts daily commuters significantly. He suggested leveraging technology to improve efficiency in reviewing footage. BTP is exploring ways to modernise its CCTV operations and collaborate with train companies to prevent bike theft.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News