A 34-year-old Christchurch man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a bike to report to a police station – which was required by his bail conditions.
Police Ten One Magazine reported Community Constable Olivia Bensley alerted custody staff last Tuesday to detain the man when he turned up for an earlier breach of bail conditions.
But when he arrived, police said officers were able to act “immediately”. The bike was recovered within about 15 minutes of it being stolen, and the man was taken into custody, the police magazine reported.
“Needing transport, the man allegedly decided to steal the bike and rode it straight to the Christchurch Central Police Station,” the report said.
A cut lock was found in the man’s bag, along with side cutters believed to have been used in the theft.
The bike was reported as stolen two days later. It had been parked by 12-year-old Adam outside the Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre in the central city and secured with a bike lock.
After Adam and his mother reported the bike missing, police were able to speak with them about bike security – and gave them a free Project 529 registration shield, information on registering their bikes and advice on stronger locks.
Project 529 is a national bike register that police encouraged cyclists to sign up to. “If a bike is registered, we know who it belongs to and can return it quicky,” Bensley told Ten One Magazine.
Bensley added police were “thrilled to get Adam’s bike for him”.
“Bike thieves take more than just property, they take away people’s sense of security and independence.”
A 34-year-old was charged in connection with the incident – now facing 17 similar charges.
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