Police saddle up to fight crime

PCSOs Waseem Mohammed, right, and Simon Kaczmarski on the new bikes.

Police in Oldham town centre are taking to two wheels to fight four-wheel crime.

The Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team has two new mountain bikes, making it easier for officers to patrol larger car parking areas — an additional tool to combat vehicle crime.

It is part of the Steer Clear campaign and Sgt Russ Magnall said: “We have a number of car parks in the town centre with spaces for more than 5,000 vehicles, all of which are a target for criminals on the lookout for easy pickings.

“My officers have been patrolling these car parks, checking for unlocked doors, open windows and valuables left on display.

“We then get in touch with the owners to warn them about the consequences of leaving their cars insecure and offer some simple crime prevention advice. By having the mountain bikes, we can get around the car parks and surrounding areas much quicker.

“They also allow us to respond to incidents quickly while remaining accessible to the public.” His advice to avoid becoming the next victim of vehicle crime is:

Select a safe and secure parking area, preferably a secure car park.

Avoid parking in side streets or areas with poor lighting and blind spots.

Remove all valuables and don’t leave anything on show; if you can, remove the CD or stereo fascia.

Take all items out of the glove compartment and leave it open so thieves can see it is empty.

Using a wipe, remove any marks left on the vehicle windscreen by sat-navs.