Crime: Police data reveals which areas of Sheffield have been hit hardest by bicycle thefts over last year
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Sheffield is beginning to be recognised for its cycling community and has previously been ranked 12th in Britain’s cycling-friendly cities.
With millions in funding earmarked for ‘active travel schemes’ across the city, we have taken a look at bicycle theft statistics on https://www.police.uk/ between March 2021 and March 2022.
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Hide AdThe Police.UK website provides up-to-date crime figures for every town and city in the UK, and Sheffield is broken down into four policing districts, namely: Sheffield Central and North West; Sheffield South West; Sheffield South East and Sheffield North East.
The figures show that the worst-hit area in Sheffield for bicycle theft over the last year was Sheffield Central and North West, with the worst month being in October last year, when police received 40 reports of bike theft.
A total of 38 out of the 40 thefts were reported in the city centre, with one report being made in Wharncliffe Side, and another in Hillsborough.
The exact locations of the thefts has been anonymised by police, but the city centre hotspots for bicycle theft in October 2021 appear to be in and around Sheffield Hallam University, where eight reports were made; an additional eight reports were made between The Moor and Devonshire Street; six reports were made between Sheffield Cathedral and Kelham Island; four were made around the Queens Road area and four more were made between Ecclesall Road and Pamona Street.
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Hide AdThe second and third worst months for bicycle theft were in November 2021 and March 2022, when 35 and 32 reports, respectively, of bicycle theft were made to police.
A £333,000 city centre cycle hub, located in a ground floor unit in Telephone House on Charter Row, was due to open in March last year. A Sheffield Council spokeswoman confirmed this week that it is now scheduled to open this Autumn.
It is hoped the new facility will help to keep bikes secure.
Plans state the new facility would have space for 200 bikes, a workshop, bike hire and sales, charging points for ebikes and changing rooms with lockers. Some £294,000 is set to come from the Local Transport Plan ‘pending the award of Active Travel Funding’.
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Hide AdCurrently, Sheffield city centre just two ‘bike lockers’ - metal sheds - in Rockingham Street car park, according to the council’s website. There were three on Wellington Street car park but that is now a Heart of the City building site. Elsewhere cyclists have to use on-street racks.
The bicycle theft figures show that in most areas of the city a drop in thefts is seen over the winter months, and also between March and May last year, when partial lockdown restrictions were in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The worst month for reported bicycle thefts in the Sheffield South West policing district between March 2021 and March 2022 was October 2021, when 13 reports were made.
Similarly, the highest number of reports in the Sheffield South East district was November 2021, when 12 reports were made.
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Hide AdIn Sheffield North East the worst months for reports of bicycle thefts were April 2021 and February 2022, when eight reports were made.
South Yorkshire Police has been asked to provide a comment.