which neighborhoods are the most affected?
The number of bicycle thefts increased slightly in 2020. The numerous travel restrictions experienced last year do not seem to have stopped the thieves of two wheels. According to the First Observatory of cycling, published by the Toulouse Urban Planning Agency (AUaT) last September, a an upsurge in thefts was recorded last year.
Only half of the stolen bikes have been the subject of a complaint
3.368. This is the number of bicycles that were declared to the national police in 2020. This figure rises to 3,315 in 2019, or 2% less than the following year. Note that these data only correspond to the number of complaints recorded by the national police, in the municipalities of Toulouse, Colomiers, Blagnac and Tournefeuille. The AUaT also informs that it is estimated, at the national level, “that half of stolen bicycles are the subject of a complaint”.
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Of all the bicycles stolen, 45% occurred in private places such as residences or private parking lots., according to the observations of AUaT. The rate of theft of electrically assisted bicycles (EEVs) has also increased, from 10% to 14% of total bicycles stolen. According to the AUaT, “this development correlates with the boom in sales of VEAs nationwide.”
What are the most affected neighborhoods?
In Toulouse, it is unsurprisingly the hypercentre that concentrates the largest volume of bicycle theft. The AUaT lists 812 vol. in 2020. While the Arnaud-Bernard and Saint-Aubin districts are seeing the number of flights stagnate or drop, the districts of Saint-Cyprien, Saint-Georges and Capitole are increasingly affected by this scourge. Once out of the city center, the AUaT observes an upward trend for the sectors located at theeast and south-east. Indeed, thefts increased in Jolimont (+ 19%), l’Ormeau (+33%), but uassi in Montaudran, La Terrasse or Guilheméry.
The report also states a significant number of thefts in the town of Blagnac. The AUaT listed 94 stolen bicycles in 2019 against 156 in 2020. On the other hand, the number of stolen bicycles has significantly decreased in Colomiers (-19%) and Tournefeuille (-32%). The same goes for the Mirail district, which recorded a 32% drop in theft.
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