Safely parking your bicycle in the bicycle shed at Bergen op Zoom station is not an option. Although the parking is guarded, many bicycles are stolen. Raphaël Steenbergen knows all about it. His electric bicycle has been stolen twice since March. “I don’t dare put my bike there anymore.”
Raphaël Steenbergen from Lepelstraat rides an electric bicycle to and from Bergen op Zoom station every day for his work. “I came back in the evening in March and there was only a neatly cut cable lock.” He was very upset about that. “It was a beautiful and expensive bike. I was a bit upset.”
Fortunately, Raphaël was well insured and was able to buy a new electric bicycle. In addition to a thick chain lock for motorcycles, he now also used a thick shackle lock to secure his bicycle. “I thought: I won’t let it happen to me a second time.”
‘monitored’
However, it happened again last week. “They cut through both locks. The smell of the fire still hung in the bicycle shed,” says Raphaël. He wonders what the value is of the words ‘guarded bicycle parking’ on the facade of the station building.
NS spokesman Arno Leblanc says that the parking facility in Bergen op Zoom is secured with a gate that can only be opened with the public transport chip card and with cameras. “They are linked to the NS Control Room. If a suspicious situation is seen, we will immediately contact the police.”
Angry and powerless
Raphael’s disappointment quickly turned into anger and powerlessness. “I asked the NS if they wanted to look back at the camera images of what happened. Only they could and were not allowed to because only the police are allowed to request and view the images.”
His story does not stand alone. Marijn Staps from Bergen op Zoom was screwed twice in two months. “The last time on June 27, there were two other victims. If you inquire about camera images at the NS or want to discuss this, you will hit customer service with your head against the wall.”
No priority
Both victims also received bad news from the police. “I reported it to the police, but two days later I received a message that they are not investigating,” says Raphaël. He doubts whether the police have requested the CCTV footage.
Marijn also felt that she was not being taken seriously. “The police casually said that it is not a priority because they have capacity problems.” The police acknowledge that they do not always get around to bicycle thefts due to a lack of manpower.
Points of reference
If there is time, there must be something tangible with which to start an investigation. Think of a perpetrator who can be seen recognizable on camera images. Although the police realize that such a theft is very annoying. These are often electric bicycles that cost between 2000 and 3000 euros.
Marijn wonders why the Dutch Railways and the police do not really take action. “If you ask me, this is organized crime. This must be addressed by politicians. This cannot and must not continue.” The NS also finds the situation ‘unacceptable’ and wants to install smart cameras that recognize thefts themselves.