Good Morning to you all,

You may have seen this message on our other social media platforms, but I am aware some of our members are not on them, so I am personalising this for us, plus it is such an important message to get out there, so please do share.

This is a very important and personal warning to quad bike owners in Richmondshire 🏞

Criminals are actively targeting quad bikes in our area. So please, take every step you can to keep your quad or ATV safe. On a good note, we are not being targeted as much as other areas in North Yorkshire, but we are still being targeted, so we need to do our best to prevent these thefts occurring.

We’re working hard with neighbouring forces to keep thieves out and running daily proactive patrols to deter thefts and catch criminals. But there are steps owners can take to keep their vehicles safe:

When you’re not using your quad, remove the keys and store them well away from the vehicle. 🔑  I have personally found several quad bikes with keys left in the ignition when on patrol in Richmondshire, which is simply a theft waiting to happen. I really do appreciate it is a lot easier leaving the keys in the ignition, but please do not do this. 

Keep your quad bike out of sight and use devices such as steering locks, ball hitch or frame locks and wheel clamps that are bolted to the ground. 👀

Ensure that the building it's stored in is closed and padlocked. 🔐

Use trackers and immobilisers. Not only is this a deterrent but can also increase the chance of police recovering the stolen vehicle and identifying who to return it to. 👮 We have recovered several stolen quad bikes and other vehicles via the use of trackers, so these are vitally important and not very expensive now.

Review your security and consider CCTV, this also works as a deterrent and great for overall security. 👍

Take a note of serial numbers and photograph your vehicles. Capture any unique identifying features. 📸

Please help us by following some or all of those steps. Let’s keep those thieves at bay!

We will continue to be proactive and patrol Richmondshire when we can, but please bear in mind we cover over 500 square miles and really do rely on reports of suspicious behaviour, so please report anything you see out of the ordinary.  Normally this would be via the 101 system, but if you believe a crime is in progress or about to be committed, then use the 999 system if you deem in appropriate and we will attend as soon as possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you have a lovely day.

Regards

Martin