Bicycle Thefts in the Netherlands - Prevention and Prosecution (From Preventable Offenses, Volume 1 - Prevention of Bicycle Thefts, P 61-76, 1977 - See NCJ-78969)

• NCJ Number: 78969
• Author(s): B Stokking
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: German
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

The nature of bicycle theft as a crime in the Netherlands and efforts of police to investigate and prevent bicycle thefts are outlined.

Abstract

Holland has traditionally been a country of bike riders. As a result, bikes and motor bikes are frequently the objects of thefts. Almost all bike thefts are committed by persons under 21 years old, with about 64 percent under 18; moped theft is also a typically juvenile crime. Bike and motor bike thefts are common wherever large groups of people come together; bikes may be stolen even when locked. Damages from bike and motor bike thefts in 1976 amounted to 33.5 million guilders. Bike thefts, which have risen sharply since 1975, are frequently committed by drug addicts (60 percent) who sell them to get their daily drug supply. Police measures to control bike thefts are inadequate. Police measures presently taken are either administrative or investigative. Administrative measures include registration of stolen bikes and maintenance of files with missing bike and motor bike information. Unfortunately, the central registry of stolen bikes proves ineffective because most bike owners do not know the frame numbers of their stolen bikes. Even when stolen bikes are found, their rightful owners are thus difficult to ascertain. Investigative efforts consist of street checks of motor bikes, checks of bike dealer records for repurchased bikes, and detection of original bike numbers after they have been eradicated. Public prosecutors and judges consider bike and motor bike theft a serious offense to be settled in court. Police have made few preventive efforts, but a campaign encouraging citizens to register their bike frame numbers is being planned. Effective bike theft control would require a law effecting mandatory bike number registration and use of bike locks, registration of bike numbers by insurance companies, cooperation of retail bike dealers, public information campaigns, improved motivation of police officers, computerization of bike records, and effective traffic checks.